249:. He took up music at an early age: By three years old he could play his first clarinet, and at six he was marching in his father's band. In addition to clarinet, he went on to learn the violin, piano, and pipe organ. In his teens, he became so proficient at the pipe organ as to be able to take his teacher's place as the organist in Sunday services, although his true passion was the violin. To pay for his lessons, he himself taught piano and violin to beginners, but soon realized that he would meet with limited success in his home country. Thus, at 17, F. Melius emigrated to the United States.
400:
from 1937 to 1986, developing the choir into what is now one of the world's finest and most accomplished undergraduate a cappella choirs. Paul, like his father, composed and arranged hundreds of hymns and countless choral compositions. Paul helped to spread his father's music and tradition (as well
300:
was founded as an outgrowth of the St. John's
Lutheran Church Choir in Northfield. For the next 30 years, Christiansen led the St. Olaf Choir, striving for perfect intonation, blend, diction and phrasing. He was a skilled conductor, directing bands and choirs alike. He assumed direction of the
28:
279:
to study for two years at the Royal
Conservatory of Music. While there, he became a regular attendee of the St. Thomas Choir, directed by Gustav Schreck, who was F. Melius' teacher in counterpoint, conducting, and composition. Following the completion of his diploma, F. Melius moved back to
280:
Minneapolis with his wife and first child, Elmer, where he enjoyed success as a violin faculty member of
Northwestern Conservatory of Music, an organist in a local Lutheran church, and the director of the Kjerulf Male Chorus.
390:. His accomplishments include maintaining the tradition and high standards of his father while introducing many choral arrangements, and more than twenty years of conducting the St. Olaf Choir.
264:. In Marinette, he directed both the city band and the church choir, in addition to teaching private lessons. It was there that he witnessed a performance by a male quartet from
679:
313:, making it the first college music ensemble to conduct a tour abroad. Though his first love was the violin, he received international fame as founding director of the
333:
and his choral techniques were spread throughout the U.S. by St. Olaf graduates. The
Christiansen choral tradition is a recognized feature of American choral music.
694:
330:
594:
699:
659:
365:
Four of
Christiansen's children survived to adulthood, two of them adding their own legacy to the Christiansen tradition of choral music in America.
614:
624:
275:, graduating with honors in his studies of music theory and counterpoint. He returned to Marinette to marry Edith Lindem, and in 1897, moved to
654:
674:
669:
619:
689:
664:
272:
684:
373:
472:
589:
377:
542:
356:
American Choral
Directors Association of Minnesota created the F. Melius Christiansen Endowment Fund in 1996 .
432:
520:
454:
322:
649:
644:
393:
261:
171:
397:
257:
253:
226:
386:; succeeded his father as head of the music department at St. Olaf College and conductor of the
383:
369:
343:
166:
161:
131:
353:
St. Olaf
College established the F. Melius Christiansen Lifetime Achievement Award in 1973.
318:
289:
276:
265:
214:
121:
94:
598:
458:
310:
293:
498:
387:
347:
314:
297:
70:
433:"Dr. F. Melius Christiansen A Brief Biography – Shaw-Olson Center for College History"
27:
638:
302:
268:
in
Minneapolis, which left a favorable impression and led to his enrollment in 1892.
499:"The Influence of Fredrik Melius Christiansen on Six Minnesota Conductor-Composers"
237:
Fredrik Melius
Christiansen, the son of a Norwegian factory worker, was born in
404:
Elsa
Christiansen Wycisk; married Kurt Wycisk, manager of the Concordia Choir.
326:
325:, USA from 1912 to 1944. Christiansen was considered a pioneer in the art of
260:
where his brother Karl resided, staying for two years before he moved on to
242:
238:
218:
51:
329:(unaccompanied) choral music. Christiansen composed and arranged over
306:
246:
210:
206:
81:
546:
271:
After completing the freshman courses at Augsburg, he attended the
449:
629:
615:
F. Melius Christiansen. Minnesota Historical Society MN150 Wiki
568:
401:
as developing his own reputation of excellence) to generations.
256:
but was unable to find work as an organist. He then moved to
601:
Anton Armstrong. St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota)
545:. American Choral Directors Association. Archived from
543:"F. Melius Christiansen Lifetime Achievement Award"
183:
145:
137:
127:
117:
109:
87:
77:
59:
37:
18:
221:choral tradition. He is most notable for his many
591:The Christiansen Tradition in Sacred Choral Music
473:"F. Melius Christiansen and the St. Olaf Choir"
521:"Dr. F. Melius Christiansen A Brief Biography"
8:
305:in 1903, and took the ensemble on tour to
26:
15:
342:Christiansen was made a Commander of the
680:Norwegian emigrants to the United States
431:History, Shaw-Olson Center for College.
571:. American Choral Directors Association
569:"F. Melius Christiansen Endowment Fund"
497:Christina Marie Armendarez (May 2006).
414:
288:In 1901, Christiansen was recruited by
426:
424:
422:
420:
418:
225:choral arrangements, and for founding
630:F. Melius Christiansen Endowment Fund
380:, "the Jake," was built in his honor.
205:(April 1, 1871 – June 1, 1955) was a
102:Royal Conservatory of Music (Leipzig)
7:
252:He briefly stayed with his uncle in
32:Fredrik Melius Christiansen ca. 1926
695:Recipients of the St. Olav's Medal
451:F. Melius Christiansen (1871-1955)
273:Northwestern Conservatory of Music
99:Northwestern Conservatory of Music
14:
372:; coach and athletic director at
700:People from Marinette, Wisconsin
660:American male conductors (music)
1:
190:Anders Christiansen (father)
655:American conductors (music)
501:. University of North Texas
374:Concordia College, Moorhead
203:Fredrik Melius Christiansen
20:Fredrik Melius Christiansen
716:
378:Jake Christiansen Stadium
25:
675:St. Olaf College faculty
670:American male violinists
625:Paul Joseph Christiansen
176:Elsa Christiansen Wycisk
620:About the St. Olaf Band
331:250 musical selections
193:Oleana Jonsen (mother)
471:Heather MacLaughlin.
323:Northfield, Minnesota
690:People from Eidsvoll
394:Paul J. Christiansen
309:in 1906 to play for
262:Marinette, Wisconsin
172:Paul J. Christiansen
665:American violinists
478:. Christiansenprint
461:(ACDA of Minnesota)
398:The Concordia Choir
258:Washburn, Wisconsin
254:Oakland, California
158:Tullah Christiansen
685:American Lutherans
597:2010-06-04 at the
523:. St. Olaf College
457:2008-07-03 at the
241:, municipality in
227:The St. Olaf Choir
152:Elmer Christiansen
384:Olaf Christiansen
370:Jake Christiansen
344:Order of St. Olaf
200:
199:
167:Olaf Christiansen
162:Jake Christiansen
155:Carl Christiansen
132:Olaf Christiansen
707:
602:
587:
581:
580:
578:
576:
565:
559:
558:
556:
554:
539:
533:
532:
530:
528:
517:
511:
510:
508:
506:
494:
488:
487:
485:
483:
477:
468:
462:
447:
441:
440:
428:
319:St. Olaf College
290:St. Olaf College
277:Leipzig, Germany
266:Augsburg College
215:choral conductor
122:St. Olaf College
113:Choral conductor
95:Augsburg College
66:
47:
45:
30:
16:
715:
714:
710:
709:
708:
706:
705:
704:
635:
634:
611:
606:
605:
599:Wayback Machine
588:
584:
574:
572:
567:
566:
562:
552:
550:
541:
540:
536:
526:
524:
519:
518:
514:
504:
502:
496:
495:
491:
481:
479:
475:
470:
469:
465:
459:Wayback Machine
448:
444:
430:
429:
416:
411:
363:
339:
311:King Haakon VII
294:John N. Kildahl
286:
235:
196:
179:
105:
88:Alma mater
73:
68:
64:
55:
49:
43:
41:
33:
21:
12:
11:
5:
713:
711:
703:
702:
697:
692:
687:
682:
677:
672:
667:
662:
657:
652:
647:
637:
636:
633:
632:
627:
622:
617:
610:
609:External links
607:
604:
603:
582:
560:
534:
512:
489:
463:
442:
413:
412:
410:
407:
406:
405:
402:
391:
388:St. Olaf Choir
381:
362:
359:
358:
357:
354:
351:
348:King of Norway
338:
335:
315:St. Olaf Choir
298:St. Olaf Choir
285:
282:
234:
231:
198:
197:
195:
194:
191:
187:
185:
181:
180:
178:
177:
174:
169:
164:
159:
156:
153:
149:
147:
143:
142:
139:
135:
134:
129:
125:
124:
119:
115:
114:
111:
107:
106:
104:
103:
100:
97:
91:
89:
85:
84:
79:
75:
74:
71:Northfield, MN
69:
67:(aged 84)
61:
57:
56:
50:
39:
35:
34:
31:
23:
22:
19:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
712:
701:
698:
696:
693:
691:
688:
686:
683:
681:
678:
676:
673:
671:
668:
666:
663:
661:
658:
656:
653:
651:
648:
646:
643:
642:
640:
631:
628:
626:
623:
621:
618:
616:
613:
612:
608:
600:
596:
593:
592:
586:
583:
570:
564:
561:
549:on 2016-03-22
548:
544:
538:
535:
522:
516:
513:
500:
493:
490:
474:
467:
464:
460:
456:
453:
452:
446:
443:
438:
437:wp.stolaf.edu
434:
427:
425:
423:
421:
419:
415:
408:
403:
399:
395:
392:
389:
385:
382:
379:
375:
371:
368:
367:
366:
360:
355:
352:
349:
345:
341:
340:
336:
334:
332:
328:
324:
320:
316:
312:
308:
304:
303:St. Olaf Band
299:
295:
291:
283:
281:
278:
274:
269:
267:
263:
259:
255:
250:
248:
244:
240:
232:
230:
228:
224:
220:
216:
212:
208:
204:
192:
189:
188:
186:
182:
175:
173:
170:
168:
165:
163:
160:
157:
154:
151:
150:
148:
144:
140:
136:
133:
130:
126:
123:
120:
116:
112:
108:
101:
98:
96:
93:
92:
90:
86:
83:
80:
76:
72:
62:
58:
53:
48:April 1, 1871
40:
36:
29:
24:
17:
590:
585:
573:. Retrieved
563:
551:. Retrieved
547:the original
537:
525:. Retrieved
515:
503:. Retrieved
492:
480:. Retrieved
466:
450:
445:
436:
396:; conducted
364:
287:
270:
251:
236:
222:
202:
201:
141:Edith Lindem
118:Organization
65:(1955-06-01)
63:June 1, 1955
650:1955 deaths
645:1871 births
78:Nationality
639:Categories
409:References
327:a cappella
292:president
233:Early life
223:a cappella
110:Occupation
44:1871-04-01
575:March 20,
553:March 20,
527:March 20,
505:March 20,
482:March 20,
229:in 1912.
211:violinist
207:Norwegian
128:Successor
82:Norwegian
595:Archived
455:Archived
350:in 1928.
245:county,
243:Akershus
239:Eidsvold
219:Lutheran
146:Children
54:, Norway
52:Eidsvold
346:by the
217:in the
184:Parents
361:Family
337:Honors
307:Norway
296:. The
284:Career
247:Norway
209:-born
138:Spouse
476:(PDF)
577:2016
555:2016
529:2016
507:2016
484:2016
213:and
60:Died
38:Born
376:.
321:in
317:of
641::
435:.
417:^
579:.
557:.
531:.
509:.
486:.
439:.
46:)
42:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
