A word keeps coming up in conversations about the Las Vegas Men’s Chorus: love. It’s implied by the six guiding principles of the group, founded in 1993: community, harmony, opportunity, respect, unity, and service.
The chorus’ concerts are full of energy and effervescence — but are also emotionally powerful. “You’re going to walk away feeling something. The love is palpable,” LVMC Artistic Director Ryan Duff says. In his 13 years as AD, Duff has cultivated the organization’s growth from about 10 members to more than 100.
Duff’s music background is broad and eclectic. His Vegas gigs include Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding at the Rio and The Can-Can Cabaret at the Paris. For many years, he’s been an award-winning high-school choir director for multiple local schools. In 2025, the Nevada American Choral Directors Association named him Teacher of the Year.
He’s proud that the LVMC “takes people as they are.” The group walks the walk in inclusivity, fostering an environment where everyone is welcome, from those who have autism to the unhoused to those coming to terms with their authentic selves. Members range from present and former Strip performers to people with quality voices who just love to sing. Over his time, Duff has witnessed an organizational sea change. “For the longest time, (LVMC) struggled with an identity crisis in this entertainment-saturated city,” he says. There was also a problem with Vegas’ transience — people would join, then move on.
Today, he says, the major problem is that LVMC has outgrown most of the performance spaces available to it. UNLV’s Ham Concert Hall and The Smith Center are two of the few places that can accommodate 100 performers onstage.
His dream is twofold: their own rehearsal space and an organizational budget allowing him to transition to full time and hire an executive director. The board of directors is working on these challenges.
Assisting in that effort is longtime supporter Kim Ritzer. A former president of the Nevada Music Educators Association, she told him when he was named AD that she would support him however she could: “I love that the mission is to spread music and joy.” Duff teaches members about empathy and how to support each other, Ritzer says. “It’s a haven for folks. Our city needed it.”
She describes concerts as a culmination of many areas of the arts. “I like that there are themes,” she says, citing the holiday show, “Let Your Heart Be Light,” and the spring show, “The Best of the Boys!” She praises the group for its outreach and recommends to some of her students that they join after graduation — not just for musical opportunities, but because it’s a safe space.
Ritzer shares that a song that’s become LVMC’s unofficial anthem, “Peace Like a River,” moves her to tears every time. “The audience is Jell-O,” she says. “If people want to hear what heaven sounds like, listen to them sing this.”
Two Journeys of Affirmation
The LVMC is not specifically a gay chorus. Eighty-five percent of its members identify as LGBTQIA2+, but interviewees point out that its inclusivity extends to straight men, as well. The group’s acceptance has turned some members’ lives around. Its website says more than 40 percent of them “have or are currently experiencing homelessness, addiction, mental and physical health issues, abuse, or incarceration.”
And singing, especially in a group, is not just a positive vibe. Multiple studies show that participating in group singing can have restorative effects on the body, mind, and spirit.
In 2022, Lee New had been out of incarceration for a couple of years when he attended an AIDS walk where he saw a group of men singing. What he saw in the group, who were from LVMC, was a chance to “do something productive, and find a safe space outside the recovery room,” he says.
He has since also sat on its board of directors, which he says was important in turning a corner in his life. He now has received both an associate’s and a bachelor’s degree, and is the executive director of a nursing college.
LVMC’s accepting atmosphere has been crucial for New: “Never once have I ever felt judged. My differences have been celebrated. It’s the most welcoming room I’ve ever been in. Such strong hearts.”
Marc, another chorus member (who asked that we only use his first name for privacy reasons), agrees. Raised in a traditional Christian home, he knew his budding attraction to both men and women would not be tolerated, so he kept it to himself. He met his future wife in church when he was 6, dated through college, and married her in 2008. They had twins, and were viewed by many as the perfect couple. In 2022, as part of a job promotion, the family moved here. “I’ve always loved singing, so I sought out choral groups in Vegas,” he says.
Marc knew that by keeping his true self hidden, he wasn’t being honest with himself or anyone else. He recognized LVMC as an open, affirming space. “There was a part of myself I hadn’t explored. I would be cracking the door open by going into that space.” He took the risk and joined.
It’s meant a huge life change; Marc is going through an amicable divorce. But he’s also found a chosen family that gave him what he needed to be himself. He’s now officially out as bisexual. “I found the strength because of this group,” he says.
‘Fun in the Sun’
The chorus is planning to complete its 33rd season with a performance titled “Fun in the Sun.”
“I love beach and pool parties,” Duff says. He ticks off a list of songs: Along with featured music from (naturally) the Beach Boys, Pharrell Williams, and Lady Gaga, there will be the 1973 Hues Corporation hit “Rock the Boat,” “Under the Boardwalk,” yacht rock favorite “Come Sail Away,” and, to mix it up, Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”
Like all LVMC shows, this season finale will be a full-scale production, with choreography, lighting, and sound effects. “People who don’t enjoy traditional choirs will love this,” Duff says. “It’s like a rock concert.”
Adding to the party mood: June is Pride Month. Attendees can rock their rainbow beach attire — and maybe experience “Peace Like a River.”
“Fun in the Sun,” 7p, June 27; 2p, June 28, UNLV’s Ham Concert Hall. More info: lvmenschorus.org
