I loved the warmth and beauty of the strings and the sweeping physicality of it all.” “I fell in love with Beethoven, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, and Mahler - the list is endless,” he says. The past 40 years have flown by, and I’ve cherished the journey.Īfter graduating from Luther, he earned a master of music degree in conducting at Northwestern University, where he studied with Bernard Rubenstein and John Paynter, choosing to focus on orchestral conducting because of its alluring body of literature. It’s been both humbling and a tremendous privilege to lead such a fantastic undergraduate orchestra. “I’d never want to compare myself to him, but I’ve done my best to connect with my students and to create a positive, light-hearted environment while striving for a community filled with what we call ‘Orchie love,’ a tradition that started as ‘Cello love’ in the 1990s.” “He absolutely cherished each student and made us feel important and special,” Amundson says. Noble modeled a career that Amundson has strived for at St. Olaf alumnus Maurice Monhardt ’52, Douglas Meyer, Bob Getchell, Fred Nyline, and especially Weston Noble, who was known for his 57-year tenure as music professor and conductor of the Nordic Choir and Luther College Concert Band. in music while playing euphonium and trombone, singing in the Nordic Choir, and leading the college’s jazz ensemble during his senior year. As a young musician, I looked forward to being the person in charge.”Īmundson firmed up his plans as an undergraduate at Luther College, where he earned a B.A. “Sitting in the back row and counting lots of measures of rest, I listened, learned, and started conducting rehearsals in my head. “It’s truly weird how many conductors are trombone players,” Amundson says. Starting piano lessons at age 4 and trumpet lessons at age 9, he later switched to the euphonium and picked up the trombone so he could play in his school jazz band and orchestra. The making of a musical lifeĪs the youngest child of a Lutheran pastor, Amundson often sang with his four siblings at home. Olaf Orchestra into an unparalleled collegiate ensemble dedicated to heartfelt, passionate music making that all listeners can appreciate and celebrate. “I believe in the ideals of the college, I value its traditions, and I’m a person of faith.”Ī consummate musician and educator, he has gone on to use his gifts of kindness, humility, and generosity of spirit, as well as his commitment to excellence, to shape the St. “Despite my age, it was certainly possible that I was the right fit at the time,” Amundson says. Foss apparently liked the joke, because about 10 days later, Amundson was offered the job. “Give me a few years, and I’ll fix that,” he said. “You’re really too young for this position,” Foss said.Īmundson didn’t miss a beat. “Despite my age, it was certainly possible that I was the right fit at the right time,” he says.īut even though the day had gone well, Foss had one remaining concern: It was a big risk to bring in a 25-year-old with little collegiate-level conducting experience. When rehearsal was over, I knew it would be a huge mistake to turn the job down, if offered.” Amundson began his St. “They were simply way more talented than I’d expected. Their dreams for the orchestra were inspiring, and I was impressed with their intelligence, earnestness, and good humor,” Amundson says. “My meeting with the students was a game changer. An hour later, he conducted those students in a rehearsal of Beethoven’s Symphony No. Late in the afternoon, he met with about 75 enthusiastic orchestra students, who packed into Christiansen Hall of Music’s relatively small reception room. When Amundson eventually came to campus for a day of interviews, “I didn’t know what to expect,” he says. He knew Amundson’s parents lived nearby and told him if he applied and was asked to interview, he could also enjoy a visit with his family. Olaf to realize how shortsighted that was, but I said I’d made a commitment to Tacoma and it was simply too soon to leave,” he says.īut Foss persisted. He planned to stay a while, so he politely declined to apply for the St. The second was from President Harlan Foss, who gave Amundson the hard sell, detailing the merits of the college and its orchestra.īut Amundson, who had just won the coveted Hans Häring Prize for conducting at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria, was newly employed as music director of the Tacoma (Washington) Youth Symphony. Olaf’s Music Department and head of the search committee. The first was from Charles Forsberg, then-chair of St. Olaf to convince him to apply for the job in 1981. Olaf career, Steven Amundson recalls that he initially wasn’t interested in becoming conductor of the St.