THE FORMER RENAISSANCE CITY CHOIR PERFORMS ITS PRIDE CONCERT IN 2024 AT EAST LIBERTY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. | PHOTO BY ANGELOS TZELEPIS

Renaissance II, the urban revitalization plan promoted by former Pittsburgh Mayor Richard Caliguiri, was in full swing when the Pittsburgh Gay Chorus was founded in June 1985.

But to gain broader acceptance and safety at the time, the LGBTQIA+ group changed its name to Renaissance City Choir to reflect Caliguiri’s monumental effort to diversify the area’s economy after the region lost thousands of industrial jobs when the steel industry collapsed.

But over the years, the name began to puzzle newer members and audiences, who were unfamiliar with the group’s connection to an earlier era of Pittsburgh, which was dubbed “Renaissance City” at the time.

Today, on June 30, it announces a new name — the Pittsburgh Pride Choir — to mark the group’s 40th anniversary this month. The announcement also comes at the conclusion of its two Pride concerts this past weekend at the Point Park University Pittsburgh Playhouse, ending Pride Month.

The new name not only celebrates the group’s first 40 years in existence, but “as we approach the next 40 years, we’re doing it in a queer-forward way,” said Douglas McIntyre, board president of the 120-member group. He said the change was years in the making, following many conversations with prospective singers and audience members.

It’s the only LGBTQIA+ choir between Columbus, Ohio and Harrisburg, he said. Its mission is to affirm and celebrate LGBTQIA+ identity through the unifying power of music.

The chorus began as a men’s choir and then introduced a women’s chorus in 1995. In 2013, it became one mixed choir, he said. Membership has grown significantly since the pandemic, McIntyre said, as people were looking to reconnect with others after months of isolation.

The choir hosts three main concert seasons — a holiday show in December, two cabaret-style concerts in the spring and then two Pride concerts in June. It generally holds auditions in late August, early January and then in April.

McIntyre said the main goals of the auditions are for vocal placement, “for people to match pitch with us.” Singers of all experience levels are welcome.

The choir’s repertoire includes world music, contemporary, traditional and newly commissioned works. It also is a member of GALA Choruses, an international association of LGBTQIA+ choirs.

Find out more at pittsburghpridechoir.org.