Established in 1981, Aurora is comprised of first year students who sing soprano and alto selected each fall by audition. The word Aurora, Latin for dawn, represents the first light of day, or for many of these singers, the beginning of their college experience and journey as independent scholars.
Aurora is conducted by Adrianna Tam.
Distinctions
Aurora has performed at several North Central American Choral Directors Association conferences. This ensemble has also premiered works by composers such as Libby Larsen, Ola Gjeilo, Jocelyn Hagen, Shawn Kirchner, Kevin Jay Isaacs, Abbie Betinis, Gwyneth Walker, Mack Wilberg, Daniel Kallman, Ben Allaway and Melba Williamson.
Prospective Students
Aurora meets three days a week, and is made up of sopranos and altos from the first-year class. Auditions for the ensemble take place every fall. Throughout the year Aurora participates in worship services, performs in the Family Weekend concert, participates in Christmas at Luther, the Dorian Vocal Festival, and presents a spring concert with Norskkor, Luther’s choral ensemble for first-year tenors and basses.
Established in 1981, Norskkor is comprised of first-year students who sing tenor and bass selected each fall and spring by audition. The word Norskkor is a portmanteau of the words Norsk and Kor from the Norwegian language. This translates to “Norwegian Choir.” Despite the name you don’t have to be Norwegian to audition for Norskkor!
Norskkor is conducted by Mark Potvin ’01.
Distinctions
Norskkor has performed at North Central American Choral Directors Association conferences and has been the guest of the Great Northern Union at the Collegiate Men’s Choral Festival in St. Paul, Minn.
Prospective Students
Norskkor meets three days a week, and is made up of tenors and basses from the first-year class. Auditions for the ensemble take place every fall. Throughout the year Norskkor participates in worship services, performs in the Family Weekend concert, participates in Christmas at Luther, the Dorian Vocal Festival, and presents a spring concert with Aurora, Luther’s choral ensemble for first-year sopranos and altos.
Nordic Choir, founded in 1946, enjoys national and international stature as one of the premier collegiate choral ensembles in the United States. Acclaimed for the way it honors the Lutheran choral tradition while also featuring new and innovative choral works, the choir showcases versatility, artistry, and technical mastery across many genres of music. Nordic Choir is Luther College’s principal choral ensemble.
Since 2017 Nordic Choir has been under the direction of Dr. Andrew Last ’97. Previous Nordic Choir conductors include Sigvart Steen (1946-48), Weston Noble ’43 (1948-2005), Craig Arnold (2005-10), and Allen Hightower (2010-16).
Longstanding traditions within the Nordic Choir include holding hands during performances, wearing sapphire blue velvet robes, and, since 1948, singing Pavel Chesnokov’s O Lord God as the signature benedictory.
Distinctions
In 2022 Nordic Choir was invited to perform at the Midwestern ACDA conference in Chicago, IL.
Prospective Students
Nordic Choir meets five days a week, and is made up of musicians from the Sophomore, Junior, and Senior Classes regardless of their study area. Auditions for the ensemble take place every fall. Throughout the year Nordic Choir hosts a variety of performances on-campus, including Luther’s annual Christmas at Luther concert. Nordic Choir also tours multiple times during the year at the regional, national, or international level. Click below to learn more about ensemble tours.
Cathedral Choir is one of five auditioned choirs at Luther College. The ensemble is comprised of singers from all voice parts, drawn from the sophomore through senior classes. Cathedral Choir participates actively in campus worship, in the Christmas at Luther concerts, and at special events and concerts during the academic year, including an annual spring tour.
Cathedral Choir is conducted by Mark Potvin ’01.
Active in the creation of new music, Cathedral has premiered choral works by Ola Gjeilo, Mack Wilberg, Daniel Kallman, Sir David Willcocks, Gwyneth Walker, Ben Allaway, Daniel Pinkham, Eric Whitacre, Stephen Paulus, Amy Engelsdorfer, Sandra Peter, and Jennaya Robison.
The ensemble also takes great pride in reintroducing landmark, small-scale masterworks to contemporary audiences and performing choral music from non-western traditions.
Distinctions
Cathedral Choir takes seriously its commitment to the larger Luther community. In the past year, the ensemble has collaborated with over 500 high school students in workshops and shared performances, engaged in multiple service projects to benefit residents of Decorah and Winneshiek County, and partnered with Minnesota Public Radio to produce the “Bring the Sing” community singing event in 2018.
Prospective Students
Cathedral Choir meets three days a week, and is made up of musicians from the sophomore class and all study areas. Auditions for the ensemble take place every fall. Throughout the year Cathedral Choir participates in worship services, performs in the Family Weekend concert, participates in Christmas at Luther, as well as traveling regionally once per year. Click below to learn more about ensemble tours.
The Luther College Collegiate Chorale is comprised of select treble-voice singers in the sophomore, junior, and senior classes and performs sacred and secular choral works of a variety of periods and styles. Collegiate Chorale sings at chapel and Sunday worship services on campus, performs in the college’s annual Christmas at Luther celebration, and tours annually in the spring.
Collegiate Chorale is conducted by Adrianna Tam.
Collegiate Chorale has collaborated with Nordic Choir, Cathedral Choir, and the Luther College Symphony Orchestra to perform major choral/orchestral works such as Brahms’ A German Requiem, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, Handel’s Messiah, and the premiere of Luther Mass by Stephen Paulus.
Distinctions
Collegiate Chorale has performed in concert with the American Symphony Orchestra at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall, New York City, and with the Cedar Rapids (Iowa) and La Crosse (Wisconsin) symphony orchestras. The choir performed at a regional American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) convention in 2016 and at the national ACDA convention in 2017.
Prospective Students
Collegiate Chorale meets three days a week, and is made up of musicians from the junior and senior classes from all study areas. Auditions for the ensemble take place every fall. Throughout the year Collegiate Chorale participates in worship services, performs in the Family Weekend concert, participates in Christmas at Luther, as well as traveling regionally once per year. Click below to learn more about ensemble tours.
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Master your instrument by studying voice at Luther College! During your course of study you will learn about a wide range of repertoire, music theory, and proper technique for your instrument.
Meet the Directors
2023-2024 Choral Rosters
Aurora
Soprano I
Serenity Bownik, Minnetonka, Minn.
Nijah Cesare, Crystal, Minn.
Abby Doffing, Hastings, Minn.
Bri French, Colfax, Iowa
Elizabeth Goff, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Leia Jones, Indianola, Iowa
Elliot McKeage, Algona, Iowa
Stephanie Mews, Marshfield, Wis.
Ashlyn Meyer, Urbandale, Iowa
Maddie Rouse, Coralville, Iowa
Madigan Ryan, Bloomington, Minn.
Alto I
Rachel Borchardt, Clarksville, Iowa
Ava Cunningham, Albert Lea, Minn.
Elizabeth Guy, Alpharetta, Geo.
Joey Maiden, Albert Lea, Minn.
Norah Moravec, Rochester, Minn.
Remiana Nash-Tapleshay, Palm Springs, Cal.
Payton Reid, Dubuque, Iowa
Mia Robus, Stockholm, Wis.
Ava Sackaroff, St. Paul, Minn.
Katherine Strum, Rochester, Minn.
Soprano II
Jamie Anderson, Ames, Iowa
Natalie Brandenburg, Lake Mills, Iowa
Eleanor Brown, La Crosse, Wis.
Abby Carroll, St. Michael, Minn.
Eliana Davidson, Cedar Falls, Iowa
Anna Gil, Austin, Minn.
Summer Hogenson, Bettendorf, Iowa
Quinn Kruckman, Spillville, Iowa
Annika Odenbrett, Farmington, Minn.
Cassie Peterson, Rochester, Minn.
Brynnen Stefan, Tomahawk, Wis.
Alto II
Abby Anderson, Milaca, Minn.
Zoe Drey, West Des Moines, Iowa
Lily Hansen, Bloomington, Minn.
Maggie Haw, Ottumwa, Iowa
Noelle Hendricks, Minneapolis, Minn.
Katie Jiran, Carver, Minn.
Spike Karau, La Crosse, Wis.
Sofia Vi Koenig, Brookfield, Wis.
Codie Luse, McGregor, Iowa
Mira Melander, Medicine Lake, Minn.
Kaylee Nelson, East Dubuque, Ill
Ingrid Roeske, South Beloit, Ill.
Nora Tresemer, Geneva, Ill.
Alexandra Tiernan, Fort Dodge, Iowa
Cathedral Choir
Soprano I
Sonja Bell, Hudson, Wis.
Gretchen Dwyer, Le Sueur, Minn.
Zoe Epple, Edina, Minn.
Malaika Hale, Littleton, Colo.
Penelope Hanson, Saint Paul, Minn.
Ellie Hoehne, Junction City, Wis.
Sea Orme, Seattle, Wash.
Ashlynn Thorsen, Oconomowoc, Wis.
Alto I
Anna Barbknecht, Eden Prairie, Minn.
Thea Bentley, Hudson, Wis.
Javiera Caro, Santiago, Chile
Solvei Christopherson, Northfield, Minn.
Anastasia Davidson, Cedar Falls, Iowa
Cora Ellingworth, Waverly, Iowa
Payton Glenn, Eagan, Minn.
Kjerstin Halverson, Woodbury, Minn.
Gabby Herbold, Urbandale, Iowa
Julia Myers, Inver Grove Heights, Minn.
Alana Newell, Pecatonica, Ill.
Anna Tauscher, Rochester, Minn.
Maya Winkel, Waterloo, Iowa
Tenor I
Nathan Behrens, Falcon Heights, Minn.
Frank Cichok, Rockford, Ill.
Gabe Goeddekke, Minneapolis, Minn.
Ryan Hinderaker, Ames, Iowa
Alex Van Surksum, Sheldon, Iowa
Bass I
Grayson Gardner, Milo, Iowa
Neil Grube, Minneapolis, Minn.
Ben Hilgers, Madison, Wis.
Christian Jensen, Madison, Wis.
Charles Jetton, Whitefish Bay, Wis.
Jack Moriarty, Waukee, Iowa
Milo Neill, Spring Green, Wis.
Jacob Reister, Northfield, Minn.
Samuel Scheffler, Lakeville, Minn.
Matt Snavely, Grayslake, Ill.
Kaj Spencer Berg, Decorah, Iowa
Carter Thompson, Fairfield, Iowa
Soprano II
Ava Bednarz, Minneapolis, Minn.
Kate Griffin, Wisconsin Dells, Wis.
Rylee Houser, Kalispell, Mont.
Emily Hursh, Saint Charles, Minn.
Skylar Janovsky, Pingree Grove, Ill.
Katy Klein, Elgin, Minn.
Destiny Law, Indianapolis, Ind.
Abbey Meyers, Golden Valley, Minn.
Erica Schulte, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Julia Wendt, Madison, Wis.
Alto II
Kylie Bakke, Urbandale, Iowa
Josie Bergler, Utica, Minn.
Kendall Clausen, Rochester, Minn.
Lani Himegarner, Waunakee, Wis.
Linnea Johnson Nordqvist, Gothenburg, Sweden
Max Koeller, McGregor, Iowa
Naomi Kravitz, Glenview, Ill.
Arin Kyllo, Kenyon, Minn.
Sonnet Mungyeh, Happy Valley, Ore.
Kelly Ristau, Preston, Minn.
Elise Trail-Johnson, Saint Paul, Minn.
Ainsley Zahn, Farmington Hills, Mich.
Tenor II
Drew Chamberlain, Decorah, Iowa
Masin Irving, Iowa City, Iowa
Aaron Larson, Waconia, Minn.
Kirby Masso, White Bear, Minn.
Joey Mehlhorn, Farmington, Minn.
Isaac Stivers, Fridley, Minn.
Bass II
Rob Calderwood, Janesville, Wis.
Cade Hawkins, Batavia, Ill.
Soren Johnson, Bozeman, Mont.
Marshall Laidlaw, Red Wing, Minn.
Mitchell McManus, Cannon Falls, Minn.
Carter Sommerness, Cottage Grove, Minn.
Alex Wagner, Mosinee, Wis.
Finn Wallace, Eagan, Minn.
Collegiate Chorale
Soprano I
Mara Anderson-Skelly, Lemont, Pa.
Leah Elsner, Denver, Colo.
Taylor Lehman, Ankeny, Iowa
Mckinley Leinweber, Milwaukee, Wis.
Niamh Mee, Saint Paul, Minn.
Gray Pitsenbarger, Shoreview, Minn.
Cassie Rounds, West Des Moines, Iowa
Lauran Schwake, Solon, Iowa
Ava Shively, La Crosse, Wis.
Alto I
Bella Bamlett, Cambridge, Wis.
Sophia Chadima, Swisher, Iowa
Kiara Morten, Janesville, Wis.
Marie Mullin, Creston, Iowa
Cassandra Norton, Lakeville, Minn.
Maggie Patten, Waukee, Iowa
Carlie Prymek, Iowa City, Iowa
Andie Schrader, Bloomington, Minn.
Avery Wrage, Waverly, Iowa
Soprano II
Eva Anderson, Ames, Iowa
Paige Barker, Manly, Iowa
Shae Downing, Sioux City, Iowa
Maya Grocholski, Plymouth, Minn.
Kressin Hartl, Cannon Falls, Minn.
Cassandra Magee, Fort Collins, Colo.
Grace Rosholt, Middleton, Wis.
Hannah Roth, Rochester, Minn.
Abby Wood, New Albin, Iowa
Alto II
Sonja Bloeser, Iowa City Iowa
Channing Cade, Northfield, Minn.
Maria Hendrickson, Decorah, Iowa
Maggie Hickman, Solon, Iowa
Olivia Luster, Janesville, Wis.
Edie Meehan, Northfield, Minn.
Sarah Miller, Nevada, Iowa
Kate Oelfke, Austin, Minn.
Mary Osborne, Esko, Minn.
Grace Patterson, Hazel Green, Wis.
Norskkor
Tenor I
Micah Anderson, New Prague, Minn.
Conso Consolateur, Ngarama, Rwanda
Ombeni Goss, Westby, Wis.
Jack Grigsby, Lakeville, Minn.
David Hinderaker, Ames, Iowa
Noah Jorgensen, Taylor Ridge, Ill.
Owen McCredie, Bettendorf, Iowa
Austyn Riehle, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Bass I
Louis Breimhurst, Kenyon, Minn.
Michelangelo Dohm, Belleville, Minn.
Benjamin Gonyea, Lakeville, Minn.
Kolby Hammen, Sioux Falls, S.D.
Jake Horton, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Storm Huinker, Monona, Iowa
Adam Jones, Decorah, Iowa
Benjamin Lorence, Mason City, Iowa
Paul Ode, Iowa City, Iowa
Luke Orton, Waukee, Iowa
Wil Quinn, East Dubuque, Ill.
Max Sampson, Pine Island, Minn.
Joseph Schramm, Waukee, Iowa
William Scott, Kissimmee, Fla.
Hugh Spann, Viroqua, Wis.
Isaac Trowbridge, Inver Grove Heights, Minn.
Nate Vaughn, Berthoud, Colo.
Tenor II
Cedrik Beiwel, Decorah, Iowa
Edmund Camacho, Kosciusko, Miss.
Will Elias, Saint Peter, Minn.
Titus Gunderson, Holmen, Wis.
Mason Hatch, Knoxville, Iowa
Rowan Jordahl, Hutchinson, Minn.
Kellen Mohr, Lakeville, Minn.
Tanner Peters, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.
David Ramos, Sandwich, Ill.
Synger Runde, Lancaster, Wis.
Emerson Schneider, Hudson, Wis.
Luke Smith, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Bass II
Nate Benish, Minneapolis, Minn.
Lucas Carman, Marion, Iowa
Zach Cummer, Waverly, Iowa
Matthew Frantsuzhan, West Des Moines, Iowa
Henry Lenaburg, Appleton, Wis.
Ethan Nelson, Bloomington, Minn.
Dane Nygaard, Wesley, Iowa
Logan Strom, Albert Lea, Minn.
Eli Vorvick, Decorah, Iowa
Zachary Watson, Rochester, Minn.
Nordic Choir
Soprano I
Erin Daniel, Ottawa, Ill.
Jami Dietz, Plainfield, Ill.
Elli Ess, Waconia, Minn.
Emma Fauchier, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Alyssa Keller, Rochester, Minn.
Asli Lawrence, Selinsgrove, Pa.
Alena Schuemann, Loveland, Colo.
Lillian Smith, Decorah, Iowa
Julia Weigle, Saint Michael, Minn.
Alto I
Betsy Gebhard, Minneapolis, Minn.
Cassandra Hultgren, Chandler, Ariz.
Haley Jaeger, Cedar Falls, Iowa
Rachel Meehan, Iowa City, Iowa
Callie Pierce, Dodgeville, Wis.
Anna Stenerson, Maple Grove, Minn.
Rachel Tully, La Crosse, Wis.
Julia Weiner, Iowa City, Iowa
Madeline Young, Plymouth, Minn.
Tenor I
Patrick Carew, Garner, Iowa
Ethan Ebert, Mosinee, Wis.
Josh Kainz, Saint Michael Minn.
Cam Moll, Madison, Wis.
Haakon Rustad, Northfield, Minn.
Sasha Tomasevich, Oakdale, Minn.
Karson Trujillo, Delano, Minn.
Mason Wisecup, Ankeny, Iowa
Bass I
Colin Battien, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Tyler Belanger, Geneseo, Ill.
Matt Bell, Rosemount, Minn.
Tyler Buhr, Menomonie, Wis.
Ryne Eyestone, North Liberty, Iowa
Noah Howe, Minnetonka, Minn.
Ethan Kunka, Great Falls, Mont.
Peter Toso, Rosemount, Minn.
Soprano II
Madison Becthold, Des Moines, Iowa
Jaimie Bizarri, Geneseo, Ill.
Maggie Callanan, Coralville, Iowa
Eva Kraske, Rochester, Minn.
Ruby Langholz, Decorah, Iowa
Katherine Lawson, Cedar Falls, Iowa
Gloria Nelson, Stewartville, Minn.
Abigail Reis, Apple Valley, Minn.
Eva Stadtlander, Iowa City, Iowa
Alto II
Morgan Coy, Mantorville, Minn.
Bella Dassow, Hudson, Wis.
Rachel Heinrich, Menomonie, Wis.
Alixandria Klein, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Camryn Nelson, Maple Grove, Minn.
Madelyn O’Brien, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Mia Suzuki, Rochester, Minn.
Lucy Tschida, Minneapolis, Minn.
Abby Weidt, Hugo, Minn.
Tenor II
Noah Bowers, Altoona, Iowa
Peter Bumba, Frankfort, Ill.
Drew Jaeger, Ashippun, Wis.
Cirdan Klindworth, Roseville, Minn.
Matthew Kozemski, Geneseo, Ill.
Sam Lubs, Cedar Falls, Iowa
Dylan Muhlbauer, Decorah, Iowa
Kieran Ulbee, St. Anthony, Minn.
Bass II
Tollef Currell, Saint Paul, Minn.
Ryan Holt, Brooklyn Park, Minn.
Joseph Johnson, Maywood, Ill.
Jacob Klingsten, Waterford, Wis.
Samuel Llamzon, Singapore, Singapore
Elliot Olson, Zumbrota, Minn.
Eric Shaffer, Coralville, Iowa
Kristian Stordalen, Saint Paul, Minn.