John C. Quillin

Artistic Director John C. Quillin is the founding artistic director of Gay Men's Chorus of Charlotte, a post he has held since 2006. Under his leadership, the Chorus seeks to establish itself firmly within the Charlotte arts community, and at the forefront of LGBT organizing. Mr. Quillin holds a Bachelor of Arts in music theory from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and has over 25 years as a professional musician. He served as the artistic director of One Voice, the Gay, Lesbian & Gay-Affirmative Chorus of Charlotte from 1994 until 2004. He has conducted on stages in Toronto, Denver, San Jose, Tampa, Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, Asheville, Knoxville, Columbia, and Wilmington. While with One Voice, Mr. Quillin produced four CD recordings for the group and contributed to six other commercial recordings. He is also a published composer and arranger, and he has wide-ranging experience includes playing cello, guitar, and Renaissance woodwinds, singing, and conducting. In 1996, Mr. Quillin was honored to receive the Don King Community Service Award for his work on LGBT and AIDS/HIV issues. In addition to his extensive work within the lesbian/gay community, he has also been active in a number of other local, state, and national organizations, including on the Board of Directors of the Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses (GALA Choruses). During the work day, Mr. Quillin can be found at Fluent Language Solutions where he is vice president for finance. Prior to joining Fluent in 2000, he worked with WFAE, the NPR affiliate in Charlotte, and United Way of Central Carolinas, principally as a professional fundraiser.  

John Herrick

Associate Director John joined the group as a charter member, and has given tirelessly of his time and talent since then.   Mr. Herrick holds degrees from West Chester University in Pennsylvania and Temple University in Philadelphia, and he participated in the 2002 Westminster Choir College Conducting Institute in Princeton. He is an accomplished keyboardist, and in addition to his duties as the Director of Music for the Unitarian Universalist Church of Charlotte, he appears regularly with the Piedmont Piano Trio.  

Cynthia Hunt-Lawrence

Principal Accompanist Cynthia Hunt Lawrence, a native of Kansas, graduated from the University of Kansas where she studied piano with Angelica Morales von Sauer and Robert Ward. After spending a summer studying at the Aspen Music School with Jeaneane Dowis, she subsequently studied with Miss Dowis in New York City for seven years. Cynthia performed extensively in New York as well as maintaining a large class of private students. After moving to North Carolina Cynthia performed with the North Carolina Opera Touring Company, area churches and Sotto Voce, the auditioned small ensemble of One Voice Chorus, before joining GMCC. In addition to her responsibilities as principal accompanist with GMCC and its new LGBTQA youth ensemble, Sing Out!, Cynthia performs with the Dorian Trio and is owner/director of The Music Workshop, a private teaching studio for students of all ages in piano, voice, and other instruments.  

Staff