In 1996, the American Choral Directors Association of Minnesota (ACDA-MN) created the F. Melius Christiansen (FMC) Endowment Fund to foster Minnesota's reputation for choral excellence by awarding scholarships to undergraduate and graduate choral conducting students from private and public Minnesota colleges and universities.
The Endowment Fund is named after F. Melius Christiansen, founder of the St. Olaf Choir, who believed his contribution to music was not one of instinctive genius, but instead an ethic of hard work used to achieve perfect intonation, seamless blend and crisp diction. Today, choral musicians in Minnesota pride themselves on a tradition of excellence built on the Christiansen foundation; this evolving tradition continues to inspire talented young people throughout Minnesota to pursue their ambitions in the field of choral music. The future of choral music — in classrooms, churches, synagogues and communities — rests squarely in the hands of these promising young and aspiring directors.
Gift to the FMC Endowment Fund will:
Provide financial support to Minnesota choral directors for professional development and graduate education
Encourage young musicians in the state of Minnesota to pursue choral conducting as a career
Provide need-based financial support for students of ACDA-MN members who are selected for the ACDA-MN state honor choir program
Provide financial support for administration of the FMC Endowment Fund Committee activities
You can read more about the history of the FMC Endowment Fund in an article authored by Mary Kay Geston, past president of ACDA-MN.
To support our scholarship programs, you can donate to the FMC Endowment.
To learn more and apply for one of the FMC Endowment Fund Scholarships, please go to this page.