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Chris Zacher is a social entrepreneur and champion for live music that is accessible for all. He is the Founder and former CEO & Executive Director of Levitt Pavilion Denver, the Chair for National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) in Colorado, Co-Chair for NIVA’s Emergency Relief Fund, a founding board member of Colorado Independent Venue Association (CIVA), a lecturer at the University of Colorado Denver, and a member of the ACC Music Audio & Technology Committee. Additionally, Chris is credited with the sustainability and overwhelming popularity of Denver's beloved City Park Jazz, serving as Vice President and President from 2006 - 2014.
Chris has a wealth of experience in the music industry, including non-profit operations, budgeting, community outreach, crisis management, fundraising, festival production, and venue management.
In Spring of 2020 when COVID hit and all live music venues were shuttered, Chris volunteered to organize independent venues into the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA). Over the course of nine months, he worked with other NIVA members to lobby congress for financial relief for the music industry devastated by the shut-down. Chris emphasized the importance of live music, not just as a cultural asset but as a significant economic driver (in 2019, arts and culture contributed $2.3 billion to Colorado’s economy alone).
After Chris’ and other NIVA members’ tireless efforts to appeal to our congressional leaders, on December 27, 2020, the Save Our Stages Act was signed into law, and $16.25 billion was granted to 12,798 independent music venues across the country last Spring. Colorado received $178,136,100 in relief for 278 venues.
“Without Chris’ contributions and leadership during COVID, the music industry would have suffered even more significant losses,” says Andy Bercaw, Owner of the Oriental Theater. “Chris truly saved our stages.”
Additionally, Chris Co-chaired the NIVA Emergency Relief Fund that distributed over $3 million to struggling venues across the country in November 2020. He is currently the Vice President for NIVA’s Rocky Mountain region, continuing to work to support vulnerable independent venues and ensuring the prosperity and long-term success of our music community.
In 2021, Chris was appointed by Mayor Hancock to the Denver Commission on Cultural Affairs, an advisory board to Denver Arts & Venues' cultural affairs department. Comprised of “dynamic and accomplished Denver leaders in the areas of the arts, business and education,” the board oversees the 1% for public art program, serves as trustees of Denver’s cultural plan, IMAGINE 2020, advises on arts and cultural issues, and acts as ambassadors to the community.
Chris is also a lecturer at the University of Colorado Denver (UCD) College of Arts and Media (C.A.M.) in the Music and Entertainment Industry Studies program. As an educator, he is leading the next generation of music professionals and instilling in them his love for our vibrant music community.
2022 semi-finalist for the 9NEWS Leader of the Year Award
2021 appointed by Mayor Michael Hancock to Denver’s Commission on Cultural Affairs (Denver Arts & Venues)
2015 honored with Cultural Leadership Award from the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts (CBCA)
2014 rated in the Top Four Most Influential People in Denver Entertainment in by AXS.com
2013 Denver Business Journal’s "Forty Under 40" for commitment and leadership to Denver's non-profit community
2013 nominee for Rex Morgan Award, Scientific & Cultural District (SCFD) for leadership and volunteerism to the Denver cultural community
Under Chris’s leadership Levitt Pavilion Denver has received local, national, and international recognition from multiple prestigious organizations including Pollstar, Billboard, Westword, and 5280 Magazine.
A regular attendee of arts-based conferences including the Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP), Aspen Live, Folk Alliance, Pollstar, South by Southwest (SXSW), and Treefort Music Festival, Chris works to identify emerging artists to present in the Denver market.
Chris has served as a panelist and guest speaker for Treefort Music Festival, Amplify Music, Arise Music Festival, Aspen Live, Colorado Business Committee for the Arts (CBCA), Creative Mornings, Music Cities Conference, and SXSW.
Commissioner, Denver Commission on Cultural Affairs, 2021 - Present
Board Member Emeritus, City Park Jazz
President, City Park Jazz, 2010 - 2014
Vice President, City Park Jazz, 2008 - 2010
Treasurer, City Park Jazz, 2006 - 2008
Member, Downtown Denver Partnership, 2007 - 2017
Participant, Downtown Denver Partnership's Urban Exploration trips to Chicago in 2012, Toronto in 2013, Seattle in 2014
Graduate, Leadership Arts Program, Colorado Business Committee for the Arts, 2012
Masters in Business Administration
Bachelors in Psychology and Sociology
Associates in Human Resources