Music & Concerts

D.C.-area native returns to region for Chanticleer tour

Zachary Burgess says singing with classical group is a joy

Published

8 years ago

November 16, 2017

Zachary Burgess, gay news, washington blade

Zachary Burgess says he had a strong connection with music at a young age. (Photo by Sanaz Fahimi; Butterfly Photography)

Chanticleer

A Chanticleer Christmas

Saturday, Nov. 25

George Mason University’s Center for the Arts

Fairfax, Va.

Sunday, Nov. 26

Hylton Performing Arts Center

Manassas, Va.

Tuesday, Nov. 28

Weinberg Center for the Arts

Frederick, Md.

Full details at chanticleer.org

There were strong signs that the music bug had bitten a young Zachary Burgess years before he knew what was happening or thought anything of it.

A family story his mother likes to tell is how a young Zach joined Vanessa Williams full-throttle in the movie theater for “Colors of the Wind” from Disney’s “Pocahontas.”

“I could have cared less if anyone was listening or if I was annoying anyone,” Burgess, 30, says. “I was having the time of my life. It’s so funny. There are other similar stories. Things I don’t even remember. I’d be 4 and would make them gather around in the living room of my grandma’s house. It really has been in my DNA since I was little.”

In July, Burgess, a McLean, Va., native, moved to San Francisco to accept his big break — one of the coveted 12 slots in the male classical vocal group Chanticleer, an a cappella, Grammy-winning ensemble celebrating its 40th season. The choir is just starting its Christmas tour which has performances in Fairfax, Manassas and Frederick in the coming days.

Joining, he says, was an honor. He has a one-year contract with the group.

“I was relieved that the hard work I had put into my musical journey was starting to pay off,” he says.

It came at an interesting time, Burgess says. A 2013 graduate of the Eastman School of Music, the bass-baritone returned to the Washington area and was balancing a burgeoning local music career with his work at the Apple Store in Tysons Corner. Both careers were going fairly well. He’d been promoted from the Genius Bar at Apple into working as an inventory specialist and says there was potential there with a job he says he loved.

Simultaneously, he’d gained some traction in the music world, too. He took first prize in the Vocal Arts D.C. Art Song Discovery Competition, gave solo recitals at the Phillips Collection and the Kennedy Center, made multiple appearances with D.C. Public Opera, the Alexandria Choral Society and more.

But there were also a few bumps in the road. After a particularly dry year musically in 2015, Burgess says he “hit a fork” and decided to give music another full-on pursuit by finding a voice teacher (Elizabeth Daniels), a coach (Joy Schreier) and performing as often as he could.

“That’s really what has propelled me to now,” he says. “From then to now, the trajectory has just been up, up, up, up, up. Which is interesting because I’d just started to feel I’d kind of found my voice in the D.C. area and was starting to get some traction there.”

He’d auditioned for Chanticleer in February, 2016 but didn’t get the call until about a year and a half later. Some singers stay in the group a few seasons. Another is in his 28th (and final) season. The group performs everything from Renaissance, baroque, spirituals and contemporary compositions in configurations ranging from simple SATB harmony to complex arrangements where each of the 12 singers might be singing a different part.

Burgess says he wasn’t sure initially if his voice would blend well with the ensemble since he was more on a solo singing type of path, but he says so far, it’s been satisfying and he’s learned a lot about when to project and when to hold back depending on the performance space.

Upon moving to the Bay Area, Burgess had five weeks of rehearsal to learn two programs’ worth of repertoire. He went from an average of singing about 90 minutes per day to four-hour, Monday–Friday rehearsals with the group, which he says was “the biggest shock” to his voice.

After a summer tour that took him to Spain, Germany, Poland, France and more and a busy fall with many U.S. concerts, it’s time for the Christmas tour. He was surprised to learn later that his mom had some Chanticleer Christmas CDs in her collection. They’d been there for years and he’d heard them but didn’t make the connection that this was the group he’d auditioned for.

“Now that I’ve stepped up to this big platform and seen this reaction, you now, you’re touching another person and that’s why I do this,” Burgess says. “It’s not about me, it’s not about fulfilling my own destiny. Now I get to enjoy just sort of delivering that talent and that passion and taking someone out of their world for a minute. When you know you’re emotionally connecting with a total stranger, you’re so vulnerable and you’re putting yourself out there, but to have that connection is really amazing.”

Burgess, who came out at 14 (“I was the flyest kid in the neighborhood rolling out of my parent’s driveway in my Barbie jeep as a toddler”), says there is a “healthy mix” of gay members in Chanticleer.

Burgess is single and says he’s enjoying navigating San Francisco gay life.

So far, what stands out most about San Francisco living versus D.C.?

“Everybody here is young, everybody has a tech job and nobody asks what you do, which is like the second question you get asked always in D.C.,” Burgess says. “I didn’t really know what to expect moving to what is probably the gayest city in America. … I’m such an East Coast person, very structured, very type A, so it’s been interesting getting used to a lot of people who are more laid back with their time.”

Zachary Burgess (Photo by Sanaz Fahimi; Butterfly Photography)

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Washington chorale kicks off Christmas with vibrant program

‘Thine Own Sweet Light’ concerts planned

Published

1 week ago

December 5, 2025

Tinashe Chingarande

(Photo by orson/Bigstock)

The full Washington Master Chorale will return for its annual holiday concert tradition with “Thine Own Sweet Light” on Friday, Dec. 19 and Sunday, Dec. 21 at St. Ann’s Catholic Church (D.C.) and Church of the Epiphany (D.C.).

The concert will feature the rich sounds of the 50-voice, a cappella chorus performing lush, seasonal choral music inspired by the theme of light. Highlights include Edvard Grieg’s “Ave Maris Stella,” Eric Whitacre’s “Lux Aurumque,” and Christopher Hoh’s “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God of Hosts.” The program will also present a new work by Barcelona composer Josep Ollé i Sabaté, along with charming holiday folk songs and seasonal favorites.

For more details, visit the Washington Master Chorale website.

Music & Concerts

Queer mega stars (and allies) ready to take D.C. stages this fall

Watch LGBTQ icons light up stages across the DMV as they sing, dance, and drag their way through spectacular shows.

Published

3 months ago

September 9, 2025

Joe Reberkenny

Doechii performing at WorldPride 2025's closing concert in June earlier this year. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

One of the best ways to welcome fall is by catching LGBTQ performers (and their allies) lighting up some of the D.C. area’s biggest stages. From country and pop to drag and rock, the season is packed with shows you won’t want to miss.

Maren Morris – The country, rock, and pop diva—known for hits like “The Bones” and for standing up against Nashville’s anti-LGBTQ voices—takes the stage at Wolf Trap (1551 Trap Rd, Vienna, Va.) on Friday, Sept. 12 at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $64.

RuPaul – The mother of modern drag and host of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” will spin a DJ set at Echostage (2135 Queens Chapel Rd NE) in Northeast D.C. on Sept. 20. Before RuPaul swaps wigs for headphones, Trade and Number 9 owner Ed Bailey will warm up the decks. For tickets and details visit echostage.com.

Conan Gray – The queer pop prince, celebrated for his Gen Z anthems like “Heather” and “Maniac,” brings his Wishbone Pajama Show to EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, VA, (4500 Patriot Cir) on Sept. 20 at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $113. For more info visit shop.conangray.com/pages/tour.

All Things Go Music Festival – With a lineup that includes Noah Kahan, Lucy Dacus, Kesha, Clairo, Doechii, and more, the beloved LGBTQ-friendly festival takes over Merriweather Post Pavilion (10475 Little Patuxent Pkwy, Columbia, Md.) Sept. 26–28. For tickets and details visit allthingsgofestival.com.

BERTHA: Grateful Drag – This unique tribute brings drag artistry and the sounds of the Grateful Dead to The Atlantis (2047 9th St NW) on Sept. 27. Tickets start at $47 at theatlantis.com.

Peach PRC – Rising Australian pop star and out lesbian, whose confessional tracks like “Perfect for You” and “Forever Drunk” have made her a queer TikTok darling, performs at The Atlantis on Sept. 29 at 6:30 p.m. The show is general admission only. Additional details are on theatlantis.com.

Addison Rae – The TikTok star-turned-pop princess, who’s crossed over into music with glossy hits like “Diet Pepsi” brings her sold out show to The Anthem (901 Wharf St., S.W.) on Sept. 30. Tickets are sold out, but resale options start around $80. For more info visit theanthemdc.com.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show 50th Anniversary – Celebrate the cult classic that’s been a queer midnight-movie staple for decades, with Barry Bostwick (a.k.a. Brad Majors) at the Warner Theatre (513 13th St., N.W.) on Oct. 2 at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $41 via Ticketmaster.

Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight & Stephanie Mills – Four legends, one stage. Between Khan’s funk, LaBelle’s soul, Knight’s R&B, and Mills’ powerhouse vocals, this concert at Capital One Arena (601 F St NW) on Oct. 3 at 8 p.m. promises pure diva magic. Tickets start at $103. For more details visit capitalonearena.com.

Lorde – Joined by The Japanese House and Chanel Beads, the Grammy-winning New Zealand singer-songwriter behind “Royals” and “Solar Power” returns to The Anthem on Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. Lorde has long been embraced by queer fans for her dreamy pop and subversive lyrics. For more info visit theanthemdc.com.

Andy Bell (of Erasure) – The British queer rock icon, best known for synth-pop classics like “A Little Respect” and “Chains of Love,” brings his Ten Crowns Tour to the Lincoln Theatre (1215 U St., N.W.) on Friday, Oct. 17 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $90.45.

Doechii – The self-described queer “Swamp Princess”—and WorldPride 2025 headliner—continues her breakout year with the Live from the Swamp Tour at The Anthem on Oct. 21 at 8 p.m. Known for blending rap, R&B, and avant-garde performance art, Doechii is one to watch. Tickets start at $153.

Neon Trees – The out-and-proud Utah rockers behind “Everybody Talks” and “Animal” perform at the Lincoln Theatre on Friday, Oct. 24 at 8 p.m. Lead singer Tyler Glenn, who came out publicly in 2014, has become a strong queer voice in alternative rock. For tickets and info visit impconcerts.com.

Sasha Colby – The “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Season 15 winner strips down on the Stripped II Tour at the Warner Theatre on Nov. 2 at 8 p.m. Tickets available now on Ticketmaster.

Lola Young – The bisexual indie-pop sensation, whose raw songwriting has earned her millions of TikTok fans and multiple chart soaring hits visits The Anthem on Nov. 9 at 8 p.m. Tickets are still available.

Opera Lafayette

Purcell’s Dido & Aeneas

Featuring Mary Elizabeth Williams as Dido

+ Elijah McCormack, Chelsea Helm

Oct. 16, 7:30 p.m.

Sixth & I

PostClassical Ensemble

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Featuring National Geographic’s Enric Sala, Guest Curator

Wednesday, November 19, 7:30 p.m.

Terrace Theater

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Gluck’s Iphigénie en Tauride

Starring Kate Lindsey, Theo Hoffman, John Moore, and Fran Daniel Laucerica

Nov. 23, 6 p.m.

Lisner Auditorium

Washington Master Chorale

Sacred Jewel Box

An intimate a capella concert taking place in an architectural jewel, featuring cherished choral gems from Anglican and Catholic tradition and early American hymns. The concert will also present the world premiere of Christopher Hoh’s Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God of Hosts, and hymn singing featuring Robert Church, organist and choirmaster at St David’s.

Oct. 18, 7:30 p.m.

October 19, 5 p.m.

St. David’s Episcopal Church

Music & Concerts

Cyndi Lauper ready to have fun in Virginia

Superstar to bring final leg of farewell tour to Jiffy Lube Live

Published

5 months ago

July 18, 2025

Tinashe Chingarande

Pop icon Cyndi Lauper brings her farewell tour to Jiffy Lube Live on July 24. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

Superstar Cyndi Lauper will bring the final leg of her farewell tour “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” to Bristow, Va., on Thursday, July 24 at Jiffy Lube Live.

Lauper’s international Farewell Tour – her first major headlining run in a decade – kicked off in North America last October, and included her first time ever headlining (and selling out) Madison Square Garden. Lauper’s performances have earned raves from the New York Times, Rolling Stone, Billboard, and many more, and surprise guests have included Chaka Khan, Sam Smith, and Hayley Williams. The tour just visited the U.K. and Europe, and will head to Australia and Japan in April.

Tickets are available on Live Nation’s website.