Bio

Buffalo Gay Men's Chorus
Members Section

Barbara Wagner (Artistic Director) has served as Minister of Music at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo for 42 years. She was the director of choral activities at the Nichols School for more than 24 years and served the congregation of Temple Beth Am as its Music Director for 12 years. She was in charge of vocal activities at the Buffalo Seminary and conducts the Unitarian Universalist Church Choir as well as the Buffalo Gay Men’s Chorus. In addition to its Sunday morning responsibilities, the UU Church Choir has made two highly acclaimed European tours, the first to Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic and the second to Ireland, Wales, England and Scotland. The UU Church Choir, under the direction of Ms Wagner, has recorded for American Public Radio, performed locally with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Amherst Saxophone Quartet and the Ars Nova Chamber Orchestra. Ms Wagner was the conductor for the Peace Odyssey Tour of Hungary and the former Soviet Union. Choral singers from all over the USA participated in this tour. She was a member of the prestigious seven member Hymnbook Resources Commission that was responsible for the denominational hymnbook Singing the Living Tradition, published in 1993. She was chair of the New Hymns Task Force, which produced, Singing the Journey, another denominational songbook, published in June, 2005. She ran a choral program at Nichols High School that involved over 100 young singers including a concert chorus, women’s ensemble, men’s ensemble and a mixed chamber group. She was also guest conductor for the City of Good Neighbors Chorale.

Ms Wagner earned a BFA degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo, where she studied Organ with Squire Haskin, and has done graduate work at Westminister Choir College. She did advanced Organ study with Karl Richter at Munich Conservatory and has done advanced conducting study with Raymond Harvey, the form Assistant Conductor of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and presently the Music Director of the Kalamazoo Symphony. She is a member of The American Choral Director’s Association, Erie County Music Educators Association, MENC, Unitarian Universalist Musician’s Network (founding member, former vice president and board member), NYSSMA, American Guild of Organists (sub dean of the Buffalo Chapter) and Chromatic Club. She was presented with the Erie County Music Educator/Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra award for excellence in choral education in May of 2002. Ms Wagner is included in the 2004 edition of Who’s Who in American Women, and will be included in the 2006 edition of Who's Who in America. She is the charter Artistic Director of the Buffalo Gay Men’s Chorus.