Dr. Charles T. Gaines, Artistic Director and Conductor

Dr. Charles T. Gaines was appointed Artistic Director and Conductor of the Greenwood Festival Chorale in July 1999 when the Chorale became a year round organization. For the past five years he has organized a community chorus to present an annual program for the Greenwood Chapter of the American Guild of Organist. This group developed into the GFC following its sold-out performance of A Rodgers & Hammerstein Evening for the Festival of Flowers in June 1999.

Dr. Gaines is Dana Professor Emeritus of Music at Presbyterian College where he taught for thirty-three years. Dr. Gaines  was conductor of the Presbyterian College Choir and Madrigal Singers. He had led several concert tours to Europe. He is a pianist and especially enjoys the art of accompanying. For twenty-five years he has been Director of Music at First Presbyterian Church in Greenwood, South Carolina. Dr. Gaines is also the founder and conductor of the Laurens County Chorale.

He has music degrees from Illinois Wesleyan University and a Doctor of Sacred Music from Union Theological Seminary, NYC. He has studied chorale conducting with Lloyd Pfautsch, Elaine Brown, Earl Berg, Robert Fountain, Robert Page, Helmuth Rilling, and Robert Shaw.