Clelyn Chapin Named Next Wave Leadership Award Recipient

Denver Women’s Chorus’s Artistic Director Clelyn Chapin was named as the 2024 Next Wave Leadership Award recipient by the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts (CBCA).

The Next Wave Leadership Award is sponsored by MSU Denver and honors rising professionals leading the future of our cultural community. Chapin was honored specifically due to her work stewarding impactful collaborations with nonprofits and businesses that align with the Denver Women’s Chorus’s mission to promote social change through music.

The Denver Women’s Chorus has a strong history within the queer community, as it was founded by a group of lesbian singers in 1984 who wanted to form a safe place for the chorus members and an outlet for musician expression. Today, it is a trans- and nonbinary-inclusive chorus with many LGBTQ+ singers and allies. 

The DWC has also used its shows to raise awareness for pressing issues, such as My Body, My Voice, a demonstration of support of bodily autonomy and reproductive rights, and #lovewins, a celebration of the rights of all people to love who they love and the importance of protecting those rights. 

This season marks the 40th anniversary of the Denver Women’s Chorus, and they are celebrating this long and storied history at their February concert, HerStory. This concert will feature some of DWC’s classics and greatest hits, as well as new favorites by Brandi Carlile and the Indigo Girls. Memorabilia, photos, and other keepsakes from the Denver Women’s Chorus’s history will also be showcased at the concert. The first show in this February concert run will include special guests, the Denver Children’s Choir and the future of musical activism, on February 10th. 

Chapin will receive recognition for this award at the Business for the Arts Awards Luncheon this spring, alongside other influential leaders in the local Colorado arts community. 

Image courtesy of Rocky Mountain Arts Association