Nancy Corporon was present at the very start of our band movement, founding a band on one coast directing a band on another coast.

In the 1970’s, she was a free-lance French horn player, touring and recording with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. She was also the Principal Horn of the Florida Gulf Symphony in Tampa. She met another hornist, Jon Sims, at a competition in Wichita, Kansas. They struck up a close personal and musical friendship that continued after he moved to San Francisco and she moved to New York where she performed on Broadway and at Lincoln Center

After Jon founded the first LGBTQ-identified marching band in San Francisco in 1978, Jon encouraged her to start a band in New York. In 1979, Jon introduced Nancy to Bob Wolff, and they came together to found the New York Gay Community Marching Band with Nancy as the Artistic Director.

The band was immediately popular, performing in neighborhood events and presenting its first concert in 1980, and becoming the Lesbian and Gay Big Apple Corps that we know today.

After earning an MBA in 1985, Nancy worked for American Express and Wells Fargo, bringing her to San Francisco. After a conductor simply walked away over the grief of friends dying, Nancy was selected to serve as the 7th Artistic Director of the San Francisco Lesbian Gay Freedom Band from 1990-1996.

While on the podium she developed the Community Concert Series, a free concert every second Tuesday of each month, for which the band won the city’s prestigious Cable Car Award — the first time. They won it again for her work as conductor of the LGBA massed band at the third Gay Games in 1992.

San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown proclaimed Sunday, June 23, 1996 as “Nancy Corporon Day” in honor of the band’s contributions to civic life. She also received Wells Fargo’s President’s Social Service Award four years in a row.

Her passions for music and inclusion have defined a life built on expanding the opportunity for others to own in and find a home in our bands.

Here are some of Nancy’s words about the importance of her work.

“Jon started the band because he firmly believed that communicating through music was the one way our community could change hearts and minds. Who can argue with a Sousa march and a band dressed like The Music Man?

“I was thrilled to be a part of Jon’s legacy, to work to see his vision and dreams remain and grow, as real and important as the day he gave the first downbeat. But more than that, I am ever so grateful for the hundreds of committed members and volunteers who have kept the band going all these years, especially at those times when the band’s future seemed so dark.

“We are whole people who happen to express ourselves and serve our community–and build bridges to the straight community–as musicians. We’ve shown that our lifestyle can be about marching bands and concerts in the park and the smiles on the faces of those who listen to us.”

It is our honor to present this Pillar of Pride award to Nancy Corporon with appreciation for her dedication to building music, visibility, and pride in our LGBA bands from coast to coast and in audiences and communities of all types.