OUR HISTORY

Since 1991, the Greater Anderson Musical Arts Consortium, Inc. (GAMAC) has been dedicated to providing opportunities to enjoy, explore and create beautiful music in the Anderson, SC area! 

Our roots stretch back to September 1921 when the Anderson Music Club was organized at Bleckley Place, the home of Mrs. Fred Maxwell just one year after the founding of the South Carolina Federation of Music Clubs.  From that time forward, the Anderson Music Club worked to promote the musical arts in our community.  The club played a pivotal role in music education, providing scholarships for young musicians to attend music camps at Brevard Music Center and Furman University.  Additional work by the club included sponsorship of local pianists and concerts at the Anderson Recreation Center.  Forming the Anderson Civic Chorale in 1970, the AMC provided operating support to the flourishing ensemble.

In the early 1990’s,  interested citizens began to plan for the expansion of the musical arts in the Anderson area.  The vision of forming one organization as an “umbrella” for several musical groups was born!  The Greater Anderson Musical Arts Consortium was incorporated on April 9, 1991.  Under the new organization, the Anderson Civic Chorale became the GAMAC Chorale.  In the first year of incorporation under the organization expanded to form a professional Chamber Orchestra and Boychoir.  A Youth Chorus for teenage singers followed in 1995 along with a Girls Choir in 2003.  The Anderson Symphony Orchestra and Electric City Big Band, both well established community ensembles founded, joined the consortium in 2006.  The Boychoir, Girls Choir, and Youth Chorus ensembles combined to create the GAMAC Children's Chorus in 2013.

Today GAMAC is a thriving collaboration of 5 ensembles comprised of volunteer, professional and aspiring student vocalists and instrumentalists. The GAMAC Chorale, Chamber Anderson Symphony Orchestra & Chamber Orchestra, Anderson Children’s Choir, and The Electric City Big Band perform throughout the year as part of GAMAC’s concert series and outreach initiatives serving over 8,000 music lovers of all ages annually.