Podcast: Johnny Nichols, Jr. and the Denver Gay Men’s Chorus

Johnny Nichols, Jr., the artistic director of the Denver Gay Men’s Chorus isn’t your average conductor. He just celebrated his one-year anniversary with the group, and his mission in Denver is clear: build bridges in the Mile High City. Originally aspiring to be a politician, he shifted gears after he realized his true calling was in choral music. 

“It was hard for me to grasp pride at the very beginning, because I was ashamed of who I was, initially,” he shared. “But I recognized who I was, and celebrated myself.” 

Looking toward the future, Nichols envisions a global presence for DGMC, starting with a statewide tour in Colorado in 2026, followed by national and eventually international tours. He emphasized the importance of building community through music on a global scale, saying, “If our mission is ‘building community through music’… community is larger, and it’s global.”