Leadership Symposium 2027

February 25th-28th in Austin, TX
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Get Symposium 2027 Updates
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About Symposium
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GALA’s Leadership Symposium offers an opportunity for leaders of GALA member choruses to meet one another, attend workshops, network, and to pick up resources for building successful choruses. We’ll share our success stories, learn from our collective mistakes, and have a great time in a beautiful location! It’s a fantastic opportunity to meet peers, and we’ll have special intensive workshops for new GALA chorus ADs, new chorus board members, and chorus managers.

In addition to a full slate of workshops and seminars, there will be plenty of open-agenda time to discuss the particular issues with which your chorus might be struggling.  We’ll have round-table discussions, one-on-one consultations with GALA 411 Advisors, and social gatherings.

Learn more about Symposium
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Registration fees & cost estimates >

Regular registration ends on November 30, 2026!

Information for 2027 will be added to this page as it becomes available. You can also subscribe to our mailing list and follow us on social media to get immediate updates.

Questions? Email info@galachoruses.org

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You Asked... We Listened!
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Changes for Symposium 2027

  • We’ll schedule Thursday to have all levels of choruses meet as EDs, ADs, and board & volunteers in roundtables and breakout sessions. These are currently planned to start at noon on 2/25.

  • We’re providing a small stipend to our workshop presenters

  • We're awarding grants to the top two participants in our Shark Tank contest

  • We’ve asked potential delegates what sessions they would like to be represented

  • We will gather delegates’ accessibility needs at registration and plan better for accommodations

  • We are remodeling our fundraiser and will communicate more clearly about what to expect ahead of time

  • We will ensure all Symposium events are open to any and all delegates who wish to attend—no “invitation only” meetings

  • We will list the on-site registration hours in advance

And more!

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Workshops & More
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Symposium 2027 Schedule

The 2027 Leadership Symposium will kick off on Thursday, February 25. Registration check-in will open at 10am, and roundtable discussions separated by leadership role will start at 12pm, followed by our Welcoming Town Hall at 4:15pm.

Friday, February 26 and Saturday, February 27 will have all-day schedules filled with workshops, rep sessions, trainings, 1:1 meetings, and Shark Tank grant proposal contest. Evening performances highlighting local musical talent will be provided in the evening, free of charge to delegates.

No events are scheduled for Sunday, February 28, aside from you getting home safely!
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[updated Sept. 29, 2026] The full schedule of workshops and events will be posted as soon as it is available. We have completed review of all submitted workshop proposals and will officially notify accepted presenters the first week of October. We will update the schedule as presenter contracts come in.

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Where We'll Be
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Symposium 2027 Location

The Leadership Symposium and all evening performances will take place at the First Baptist Church of Austin (901 Trinity St) in downtown Austin.

GALA Choruses has two room blocks available, with low remaining inventory as of September 25, 2026: 

1) the Hyatt House Austin Downtown University hotel (901 Neches St). The room rate will be $199/night for a studio king kitchen up to double occupancy; for triple occupancy, the price is $209/night, and quadruple occupancy is $219/night. This space is directly across the street from the Symposium venue. It has a slight hill, but not difficult. The in-house food service is extremely limited in this hotel. The Hyatt House is our recommended option for ADA rooms. Bookings in the block should be made through this link; reservations in the block will be closed on February 03, 2027, or sooner based on availability. 

2) the Renaissance Austin Downtown hotel (701 East 11th St). The room rate is $239/night for a standard room. This space is 2 blocks away from the Symposium venue (about 0.25 miles to walk), but there is a significant hill. This location does have several food options available in house. Bookings in the block should be made through this link; reservations in the block will be closed on January 22, 2027, or sooner based on availability.

There are a variety of other accommodation options nearby if you wish to stay elsewhere or the GALA room blocks are filled.

For accessibility concerns, email info@galachoruses.org >

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Symposium 2027 Features
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Special Events & Opportunities

  • Present a workshop to your peers >
  • Unique evening performances highlighting local talent
  • Presentations by notable experts in marketing, finance, and board management
  • Masterclass run by a notable choral clinician
  • Orientation for new artistic directors and chorus administrators
  • Affinity group meetups

The evening performances are open to the general public, including guests of the delegates. Tickets are required for anyone who is not a registered Symposium attendee.

Win a Grant for Your Chorus!

Our popular Shark-Tank style contest is back for 2027! Any member chorus with an annual budget less than $300,000 is welcome to compete for the chance to receive a $3,000 or $2,000 grant for a project that adds value to their chorus and community.

Each participating chorus will make a 5-minute presentation to a panel of judges who will select the winner. Applications will open by January 2027 and will be due a couple weeks before Symposium. A workshop will be hosted at the conference to help participants polish their proposals, and the final presentations will be open for all Symposium delegates to watch. For additional information, review last year’s information packet and application or reach out to Eve Campbell (evecampbell@att.net) with any questions.

Meet 1:1 with Advisors and GALA Staff

A limited number of complimentary 1:1 sessions with GALA Choruses’ 411 Advisors* and Membership & Communications Manager, Reese, will be available to Symposium attendees. Each Advisor is specialized in particular areas, including: board and staff relationship issues, strategic planning, fundraising, repertoire and licensing, programming, AD roles and responsibilities, support for new ADs, and matters concerning equity, access, and belonging. Reese is available to discuss any questions or concerns you have about making the most of your GALA Choruses membership or our events; she also would love to learn about the needs and challenges of your organization to help us better serve our community. Sign-ups will open by January 2027 and fill on a first-come, first-served basis.

‍*Please note these are 15 minute sessions that are intended to serve as initial conversations, not full problem-solving sessions. Consulting with our Advisors is available to our members for free outside of the Symposium dates.‍

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2027 Registration Fees
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Registration Is Open!

For budgeting purposes, folks should include travel to Austin, TX, and an estimated $200-250 per night for accommodations. Check our available group rates here.

Register for Symposium 2027

Registration TypeMember RateSenior / DisabledNon-Member*Start DateEnd Date
Early$325$300$50008/01/2609/30/26
Regular$350$325$52510/01/2611/30/26
Late$400$375$60012/01/2602/28/27†
Registration TypeEarlyRegularLate
Member Rate$325$350$400
Senior / Disabled$300$325$375
Non-Member$500$525$600
Start Date8/1/2610/1/2612/1/26
End Date9/30/2611/30/262/28/27

*Individual membership to GALA Choruses costs $50/year and will need to be approved by our membership committee at their monthly meeting. If you are not currently in a GALA member chorus, apply for individual membership here.

†Those who do not register online by February 1 will have to register on-site at the start of the conference

Present Your Workshop at Symposium

GALA Choruses invites you to share your skills and talents with others in the LGBTQ choral movement by submitting a Symposium Workshop Proposal. Note that Symposium workshop sessions will be 60 or 90 minutes in length. We encourage people of all identities, skills, and types of experience to share your ideas and influence the next Symposium’s programming!

New for 2027! Accepted presenters will receive a small financial incentive for their work. All presenters are expected to officially register for the conference event at the posted rates, and the stipend will be provided after the successful completion of their workshop once Symposium has concluded.
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Proposals were due by August 31, 2026.

Review Recent Symposium Workshops