From Our President

On January 8, 2008, Voices of Gotham met for the first time. I don't think any of us present at that rehearsal envisioned how far or how fast we would begin to realize our goals. I'm truly thankful for the work of those that brought us to where we are...and I'm looking forward with palpable excitement to our future...to those new singers we have yet to meet, to the thrilling performances and deep friendships we have yet to experience. Indeed, the best is yet to come.

Voices of Gotham is young, but we have established ourselves as one of the fastest rising performance choruses in New York City.

Voices of Gotham is a chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society, the premier a cappella musical organization in the world. Our 35 members include professional actors and musicians, former college a cappella singers, and guys who simply enjoy raising their voices in song. Our membership has a median age of 27 years-old.

Our repertoire includes classical, barbershop, vocal jazz, doo-wop, and contemporary a cappella selections. A sample cross-section of current repertoire is as follows: Loch Lomond (classical - R. Vaughan Williams); The Old Piano Roll Blues (barbershop - David Wright, arr.); Brown-Eyed Girl (contemporary - Van Morrison); and Turn Me On (Norah Jones).

Voices of Gotham is always accepting new members. Guests are welcome to visit any rehearsal and our auditions are ongoing. Prospective new members should be experienced singers or performers with a strong work ethic and a desire to push a cappella performance in new directions. We rehearse every other Thursday (i.e., once every two weeks).

One thing that makes us special, aside from our diverse repertoire, is that membership in Voices of Gotham is not limited to choral singing. We actively foster the development of quartets, small performance groups, and soloists who perform as featured members of the chorus, as well as booking gigs on their own throughout the city. We also employ coaches and host master classes from some of the best regarded a cappella performers in the New York City area and abroad.

In the coming year, Voices of Gotham will be presenting two self-produced shows, delivering Singing Valentines all over Manhattan, recording our debut CD, increasing our outreach to youth music education programs, competing in contests, and much, much more.

A thrilling highlight of 2010 will be travelling to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where we will appear at the Barbershop Harmony Society's International Chorus Competition. We have been selected to sing at this elite gathering of the top choruses in the world!

The continued work of Voices of Gotham depends largely on the generosity of those who appreciate the art that we create. If you are unable become a member, please consider supporting us by making a tax-deductible donation, or purchasing a ticket to any VoG show or fundraiser.

Thank you and in harmony we unite.

Phil Wilcox
President, Voices of Gotham
Hell's Kitchen Chapter- Barbershop Harmony Society (SPEBSQSA)

Phil Wilcox
President, Voices of Gotham

About Our Director

Larry Bomback sings tenor with the 2006 New York Harmony Sweepstakes Champion and 2009 Barbershop Harmony Society International Semi-Finalist and Mid-Atlantic District Champion, 'Round Midnight. He is the former tenor of 2007 Barbershop Harmony Society International Collegiate Quartet Champion, Road Trip.

Mr. Bomback received a B.A. with Honors in music from Haverford College, and a M.A. in historical musicology from City College of New York.

A former member of the music history faculty at Hunter College and an avid opera scholar, Mr. Bomback has published articles in major publications and has presented lectures in the United States, Canada and Great Britain.

He currently serves as Director of Finance and Operations at OPERA America, the national service organization for opera; he is a member of Bridgestar's New York Nonprofit CFO Networking Group; and he recently joined the Board of Directors of the Bronx Charter School for the Arts, where he serves on the Finance and Development Committees.

Prior to working at OPERA America, Mr. Bomback managed the financial and administrative operations of the award-winning New York Youth Symphony. Mr. Bomback is also an accomplished jazz pianist. He and his wife, Coren, live on the Upper West Side.