Dr. Roberto-Juan Gonzalez is the new conductor of the band.

Dr. Roberto-Juan González, Music Director of the North Bay Philharmonic Orchestra at Napa Valley College and Puerto Rican orchestral conductor, has been selected as the new Artistic Director/Conductor of the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band - the first openly LGBT community music group inthe world. Dr. González premieres before the Band at its June community concert, “With Trumpets, Fifes and Drums.” The concert takes place 8pm, Friday, June 8 at Ebenezer Lutheran Church, 678 Portola Drive (near Twin Peaks). The admission is free.

“We’re so honored that Dr. González accepted the position of Artistic Director,” says Richard Gibson, President of the Band’s board of directors. “Not only does he have 20 years’ professional conducting experience in cities around the globe - making him a superb music leader - he’s also recently come out as a gay man and believes deeply in the mission of our band in particular.”

Dr. González joins the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band as it begins the celebration of its 30th anniversary year, starting with his premiere concert in June and culminating in a 30th anniversary concert in 2008.

González joins the Band as its ninth conductor. Named the “official band of the City of San Francisco” in 1998 and 2003, the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band is the first openly gay music organization ever, inspiring the formation of lesbian and gay bands, choruses, and performing troupes around the world. Founded in 1978 by Jon Sims at the height of Anita Bryant’s anti-gay crusade, the Band debuted marching ahead of Supervisor Harvey Milk’s convertible in the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade. The Band has been making music to build understanding between gay and non-gay communities ever since and has presented its award-winning Community Concert Series, featuring major wind band repertoire since 1993, including its nationally renowned Dance-Along Nutcracker.

“To have the talented musicians of this amazing group - a vibrant extension of the city’s gay community - choose me, a gay Latino, as their leader, has not only given me a great honor, but also a new musical home,” says González. “The passion, musicianship, and commitment in the playing of this group is miraculous. This has been one of the happiest events in my life as a conductor.”

Dr. González has served as music director of the North Bay Philharmonic Orchestra at Napa Valley College since 1988. He is also currently the Associate Principal Conductor of the San Francisco Concerto Orchestra, known for its concerts featuring Liszt and Beethoven.

González holds a doctorate in instrumental conducting and organ from the School of Music at Ball State University in Muncie, IN In 1980, he was selected to be the private conducting student of Guillermo Bonet-Muller, Music Director of the Orquesta Sinfonica de Santa Fe in Argentina. He was also a private conducting student of famed Hollywood composer David Raskin for ten years, and has studied with Francis Schwartz, Robert Hargreaves, George Markey, Ernesto Pellegrini, Kirby Koriath, and Emanuel Rubin. In 1983, he debuted with the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra as conductor and organ soloist and returned in 1997 and 2000 to conduct concerts to critical acclaim.

The Community Concert Series has been produced since 1993 by the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band. The Band serves the Bay Area with 15-20 annual performances in support of civic and community services, low-income seniors, schools, safe places for LGBT youth, health services, and human rights organizations. The SFLGFB is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, proud to be sponsored in part by Grants for the Arts of the San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund, the San Francisco Arts Commission, and the Jon Sims Endowment Fund for the Performing Arts.