Bemidji State University has appointed Dr. Isaac Lovdahl as the Director of Choral Activities. Lovdahl has been with BSU since August 2024, serving as the Interim Director of Choral Activities.

An award-winning composer, conductor, educator and bass-baritone vocalist, Lovdahl specializes in conducting and choral composition.

“I am thrilled to continue my work with the amazing students and faculty here,” Lovdahl said. “Not only do I direct the choral ensembles on campus, but I also teach courses in choral conducting, choral literature, choral methods, choral composition and arranging and serve as the faculty advisor for the student NAfME chapter.”

His appointment was met with enthusiasm from university leadership. “We are absolutely thrilled to have the services of Dr. Isaac Lovdahl secured as our Director of Choral Activities at BSU,” said Dr. Stephen Carlson, professor and department chair for the School of Music.

“This position is not only integral to the success of the School of Music but also the institution in general. Isaac is an award-winning conductor, composer, educator and bass-baritone vocalist. Aside from his choral conducting prowess, he brings a wealth of compositional experience to this critical role.”

Lovdahl’s passion for choral music began during his undergraduate years under the mentorship of Dr. Ren Clausen.

“I’ve been working toward a position as a university professor and Director of Choral Activities since I was about 20 years old,” he said. “While this wasn’t my goal initially, my undergraduate choir director inspired me so much that I decided to pursue a similar career path. I’ve been dreaming and scheming for a career as a university choral director and choral composer ever since my student days and am elated that I’ve now been able to achieve those goals.”

Over the past five years, Lovdahl has earned recognition through awards, commissions and premieres from ensembles including Cantus, the Yale Glee Club, The Singers Minnesota Choral Artists, the Young New Yorkers’ Chorus and the Cambridge Chamber Singers. His work has also been featured by The American Prize, the Youth Chorale of Central Minnesota, the Festival of New American Music and multiple university and chamber ensembles nationwide.

“Particularly over the last five years, he has garnered numerous awards, commissions and premieres from multiple esteemed organizations,” Carlson said.

“Most recently, Dr. Lovdahl led the Bemidji Choir and Chamber Singers on a tour of Minnesota, which included performances in Brainerd, St. Cloud, St. Paul and Owatonna. This tour then culminated in a highly successful home concert at First Lutheran Church in Bemidji on March 28. We anticipate continued excellence from him, the BSU choral ensembles and the School of Music in general.”

On a personal level, Lovdahl said this appointment holds deep significance. “There is a rich history of choral music at BSU and I am deeply honored to be a part of that tradition,” he said.

“This opportunity also means a great deal to both my wife and me. We have always wanted to remain working and living in Minnesota so that we can stay relatively close to our families. This opportunity allows us to do just that and we couldn’t be more happy about it.”

Looking ahead, Lovdahl has ambitious goals for the program. “I look forward to further developing the program and taking it to new heights while also maintaining the high level of artistry and pedagogy that were established by my predecessors,” he said.

“My goal is to give the students a broader range of performance opportunities, significantly increase the enrollment of non-music majors in our choral ensembles and bring the Bemidji State University Choral Program to the forefront of important conversations in the Minnesota choral music community and beyond.”