Biography
The Gustavus Choir is the touring choir of Gustavus Adolphus College in Saint Peter, Minnesota. Founded in 1932, the Gustavus Choir stands in the Lutheran choral tradition of F. Melius Christiansen and embodies the Lutheran and Swedish heritage of the College. The Choir is made up of students from a wide variety of majors, as befits the College’s strong liberal arts emphasis.
The Gustavus Choir tours annually, and recent international tours have included Spain / Portugal in 2007, Italy in 2003, and South Africa in 1999. It also participates annually in the College’s annual Christmas celebration, Christmas in Christ Chapel. Dr. Gregory Aune has conducted the Choir since 1995.
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The Gustavus Choir is the college touring choir and is open to all Gustavus students through competitive audition. The choir enjoys an enviable reputation for excellence in performance and artistic interpretation of the finest choral literature.
The Gustavus Choir tours annually as part of its regular course of study and performance. Of significant interest and value is the unique program in which members of the choir periodically combine an international tour with the formal study of the location that will be visited. The choir had this experience in January 1999 with a historic tour of South Africa, in January 2002 with a tour of Italy, and in January 2007 with a tour of Spain and Portugal. As part of the preparations for the tour, members of the choir studied the unique history and culture of the region in which they traveled.
The students who make up the choir represent a wide variety of academic and personal interests. The share a common love of corporate music making and a zeal for excellence in choral performance. Members of the Gustavus Choir recognize the role of artistic expression in their personal development as well as its importance in a liberal arts curriculum of study. They also share a belief in the power of music to elevate the human spirit and enhance the spiritual and aesthetic core in both listener and performer.
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.