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
