Suzanne Gates has been Artistic Director of CitySingers of Hartford since 1985 when she established it as a professionally performing vocal ensemble. Under her direction the group expanded to a chamber choir of approximately twenty five singers who perform music of a variety of styles and periods, both a cappella and accompanied, including works with instrumental ensembles and performers in other arts idioms. She has elected to retire after the 2023/2024 season.

Other special conducting projects in which she has participated in the Greater Hartford community include conducting the treble choir for a production of Benjamin Britten’s WAR REQUIEM, a MESSIAH sing-in, guest conducting for the American Choral Directors Association SUMMER SING-INS, preparing the chorus for a performance of Samuel Barber’s PRAYERS OF KIERKEGAARD and conducting Bach’s CANTATA 182 for choir, soloists and chamber orchestra for the American Guild of Organists.

In addition to her work with CitySingers, Ms. Gates has been an organist/choir director in Connecticut and New Jersey for thirty years and currently freelances in these roles. She has had a private teaching studio and was Assistant Carillonneur at Trinity College, Hartford for many years, performing on this instrument (a mechanically operated keyboard instrument that plays a chromatic set of tower bells) throughout the northeastern United States and in Europe.

Ms. Gates graduated with a BA degree in music from Trinity College in Hartford, CT. She earned a Master of Music degree from Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, NJ where she studied conducting with Joseph Flummerfelt, Allen Crowell and Dennis Schrock. She has also studied orchestral conducting at Hartt School of Music in Hartford and done workshop study with Robert Shaw, Robert Page, Charles Bruffy, Simon Carrington, Dennis Keene and James Jordan.