Our Mission & History

Mission

Offering HARMONY in music to help inspire HARMONY in the community. Our Voice Milwaukee exists to provide a visible presence and a positive voice in and for the Wisconsin LGBT communities.

Chorus History

Our Voice Milwaukee was originally known as City of Festivals Men's Chorus. This chorus was formed by members of an original Men's Chorus called Men's Voices Milwaukee, along with members of Madison's Perfect Harmony Chorus. The chorus has a rich history being an active part of the LGBTQIA+ community in Milwaukee.

As the City of Festivals Men's Chorus revisited their mission, they adopted a name change to Our Voice Milwaukee (OVM) and charted a strategic path forward, just before the COVID-19 pandemic. As the pandemic restricted engagement, the members continued to engage with the community, virtually, and raised funds to support the operations post COVID.

In 2021, the chorus selected David Hein as the Artistic Director. With the first concert post-COVID featuring just 11 singers, the chorus has flourished since then, growing to over 100 singing and non-singing members.

In 2024, OVM traveled with our sibling chorus, Perfect Harmony Chorus to GALA Festival. With a contingent of 40 OVM members, we performed alongside other choruses in the five day festival that included over 7,000 people in attendance. This festival will be held in Minneapolis in 2028 and we expect to participate again.

We are looking forward to what is next for Our Voice Milwaukee!

Notable Members

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Ken Forney

Founding Artistic Director Emeritus

Ken Forney was with Our Voice Milwaukee since our inception. In addition, he was also Director of Music Ministry at Bristol Lutheran Church in Sun Prarie. Ken often worked with local musicians and choral groups as a clinician. He actively worked as one of our main points of contact as we built community through song. His proudest achievements include the many partnerships Our Voice Milwaukee has successfully undertaken through our first 4 seasons including the nationwide It Gets Better Tour, One Voice Mixed Chorus of Minneapolis, and locally Women’s Voices Milwaukee, SAGE, the Milwaukee LGBT Center and many more. Ken is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater with emphasis in Piano Performance and Choral Music. He is now living in California.

Mary Schuett

Accompanist in Memoriam

Mary Schuett was Our Voice Milwaukee's beloved Accompanist and our biggest cheerleader who suddenly passed away in February 2016.

Forever in our hearts, Mary was much loved by the chorus and will be remembered. Succeeded, but never replaced.

To honor her life and spirit, the Mary Schuett Spirit Award was created to recognize members, both singing and non-singing, for their contributions to Our Voice Milwaukee. This award is given for displaying patience, love, understanding, acceptance, and, like Mary herself, willingness to show passion and devote extensive time in support of the chorus and its mission.