Two extraordinary women, Dene Denny and Hazel Watrous, had a major influence on the arts in Carmel and its establishment as a cultural center, founding the Carmel Music Society in 1927 and the Carmel Bach Festival in 1935. Visionary innovators who used the arts to bring people together, Denny and Watrous worked by first envisioning what might bring joy to the community, then getting others so excited about their plan that everyone pulled together to make it a success. In a man’s world, the Denny-Watrous partnership was unique, working in cooperation with the local community to bring music and harmony to Carmel and beyond.

Join David Gordan—tenor, lecturer, and author of Carmel Impresarios: A Cultural Biography of Dene Denny and Hazel Watrous—as he discusses these two remarkable women and how they inspired the Carmel community to bring their cultural visions to fruition. Artifacts from the collection of the Henry Meade Williams Local History Room at the Carmel Public Library will be on exhibit.

Register for this free program hosted by the Carmel Public Library Foundation.