Olaf Christiansen

Olaf C. Christiansen
Background information
Birth name	Olaf C. Christiansen
Born	(1901-01-17)January 17, 1901 Minneapolis, Minnesota
Died	April 12, 1984(1984-04-12) (aged 83) Northfield, Minnesota
Genres	Choral Music
Occupation(s)	Composer Conductor
Associated acts	St. Olaf Choir

Olaf C. Christiansen (1901 – 1984) was an American composer, professor, and conductor in the Lutheran choral tradition. He succeeded his father as the second conductor of the St. Olaf Choir, which he led for 27 years.

Background

The second son of famed choral conductor F. Melius Christiansen, Olaf grew up in Northfield, Minnesota where he was actively engaged in both athletics and music. While in high school, Olaf played with the St. Olaf Band. After a brief sabbatical, he began studying music seriously at St. Olaf College in 1921. While in college, he sang with, and occasionally conducted, the St. Olaf Choir before graduating in 1925. Upon graduation, Olaf briefly studied opera in New York City with baritone Paul Parks.^[1]

Career

Olaf began teaching music at the Oberlin Conservatory in Oberlin, OH, where he founded the Oberlin A Cappella Choir in 1929.^[2] After obtaining a master of sacred music degree from Union Theological Seminary in 1940, he returned to his alma mater in 1941 to co-conduct the St. Olaf Choir with his father. Upon his father's retirement in 1943, he became the full time conductor of the St. Olaf Choir, a position he held until 1968^[3]

During his career, Olaf spread the Lutheran choral tradition across the nation. In addition to domestic and international tours with the St. Olaf Choir, he co-founded the Christiansen Choral School with his father, which was attended by more than 7,000 American music directors. He was a frequent guest conductor at music festivals and clinics. He also composed and arranged sacred choir works.^[2]

Olaf died in 1984 from bone cancer.^[3]

References