Gurss received his Bachelor of Music degree from Emporia State University and his Master of Music degree from Miami University. His diverse accomplishments at Emporia State include performing principal operatic roles and winning an AIDS Quilt composition prize. At Miami University, Gurss was the assistant conductor of the Miami University Men’s Glee Club, served as chorus master for the opera program and was honored to meet and interview composer Morten Lauridsen. Additionally, he served as an assistant and chorister to keyboardist-composer Howard Helvey’s chancel choir. Gurss studied abroad at a German language institute in Wϋrzburg and an art song institute in Salzburg. After teaching in the Leavenworth Catholic Schools, Gurss became an adjunct professor of music for the Kansas City Kansas Community College.

Gurss also has a strong connection to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) choral movement, having sung with the Heartland Men’s Chorus of Kansas City, Missouri, for a number of years. In fact, he’s proud to be a featured soloist on that chorus’ latest CD, "Quest Unending." He’s also participated in conferences and activities of the GALA chorus organization, which supports and serves the GLBT choral community.

So what can audiences expect from One Voice under Gurss’s direction? As the new director puts it, "This isn’t your granny’s chorus! I like to program themes that are musically relevant to what’s pertinent to contemporary life. I like to twist the most recognizable music into a delightful surprise." He continues, "The holiday concert is first up, and you can expect something moving, soul-rendering, fun and surprising. Look forward to hearing some of the most beloved traditional carols and holiday music, but be ready for some music that will challenge and inspire."

Beyond his musical endeavors, Gurss is inspired by poetry and travel. He shares, "I could spend hours in a book store thumbing through pages of great poetry." Gurss’s travels have included a month in India and visits to Germany, Austria, Italy and points across the U.S. Now he arrives in Charlotte to set up shop and lead the chorus.

As its mission states, through artistic excellence, One Voice works to increase understanding and acceptance of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. The group’s achievement through choral music enables it to reach diverse groups to overcome misperceptions and to enable the audiences and singers, alike, to grow personally in the process.

Gurss is very excited about directing this nationally recognized choral group. He says, "I noticed during my conducting audition, that One Voice singers reach for perfection and are readily led into producing a beautiful musical phrase. . . . So get ready, because I’m like a pot of coffee plus a 6-pack of Red Bull when it comes to striving for the best sound and performance possible."

Under Gurss’s direction, the 2008-2009 concert season is inspired by a quote from Albert Camus: "In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer." Beginning with the holiday performance, "Depth of Winter" on December 5 and 6, each concert will reflect a portion of that hope-imbued passage. Rehearsals for the upcoming season begin September 9 at 7:00 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Charlotte (234 N. Sharon Amity Road).