Classical Pride 2026

By Ryan Pagels, Music Director

Year 3 of Classical Pride Charleston is in the books!  For me, it is always a whirlwind of a weekend, however it is personally one of the most meaningful things I get to do.  This year’s feature piece was Gerswhin’s “Concerto in F,” which happens to be the first concerto I learned in college.  To make it even more special, one of my closest friends (whom I’ve known since high school) was our soloist!  Another thing that made this year special was incorporating “Vox Insolita,” the newly formed queer choir in which I am the Artistic Director.

It has been a goal of mine the last couple of years to incorporate ballet- in fact, last year’s “Appalachian Spring” was chosen specifically for that reason.  Thanks to recent connections I’ve made in the community, my goal is to make that a reality next year.  While the repertoire isn’t decided, the short list includes Tchaikovsky, Barber, and Saint-Saens.  Another goal of mine is to commission a local queer composer to write a piece for the concert.  If you happen to know of any, send them my way!

Lastly, I would just like to say “thank you.”  Thank you to The Unitarian Church in Charleston, thank you to Rebecca, and everyone involved for allowing me to make art in a way that’s meaningful to me, and the opportunity to collaborate with so many amazing people.