Humble Leadership: 40 years of choral excellence in Rochester

Stephanie Schumacher

Humble Leadership: 40 years of choral excellence in Rochester

When my husband–also a choral director–and I found ourselves planted in the Rochester area in the fall of 2007, the biggest thing we missed about college life was singing in the choir. Lucky for us, the mother of one of his students told us about this choir in Rochester called Choral Arts Ensemble. It sounded like something we’d be interested in, so in May of 2008 we auditioned.  Despite being quite intimidated by the outstanding voices we heard coming from the room before our turns, we were offered places in the choir for the 2008-2009 season. We had no idea what an enormous impact joining Choral Arts Ensemble would have on our lives. 

So what does my story have to do with our theme of “Sustainability?” 

When I joined Choral Arts Ensemble I stepped into a model nonprofit community choir that has been sustained for 40 years. How has this organization thrived for so long? The simple answer is “it takes a village.” CAE has a supportive and hard-working board of directors, dedicated and loyal singers, community leaders who support us financially and otherwise, an office staff dedicated to the vision, and audience members who appreciate our art form. None of these sustaining elements would be possible without the tenacious spirit of our founding Artistic Director, Dr. Rick Kvam. 

2025 marks the 40th anniversary of Choral Arts Ensemble in Rochester. Because  he is one of the most humble and selfless people I know, Rick does not want a spotlight or feature article written about him. However, it is impossible to celebrate 40 years of Choral Arts Ensemble without acknowledging his lasting legacy of choral excellence. So Rick, if you’re reading this, this is not an article about you, it is simply my attempt at commemorating the past 40 years and looking with excitement toward the next 40. 

In 1982, while Rick was a medical student at Mayo, he met other med students and consultants who also were accomplished vocalists, and they decided to form an octet. The “Men’s Capella” began rehearsing in early 1983, and in the early years were invited to sing at the White House for President Reagan! Soon after, MPR reached out with an offer to record their Christmas concert, “Christmas in the City of Healing.” 

Rochester Chamber chorale 1986

As Rick was making music with the Men’s Capella, he was “pounding the pavement,” forging connections all around Mayo Clinic and the Rochester community. To find contacts who might be interested in supporting his artistic endeavors he paged through the Mayo directory and phone book. Once he got the CFO of Mayo Clinic on board, he recalls, “Little doors just kept opening, and we just kept going!”

In 1985 the Men’s Capella morphed into the Rochester Chamber Chorale (later to be renamed Choral Arts Ensemble), an elite SATB ensemble of 28 singers that performed Bach, Palestrina, and many other Renaissance and Baroque works. 

In those early days, Rick worked tirelessly to connect with potential supporters in and around Rochester. This was done with very little technology, jotting down addresses and phone numbers, making cold calls, and creating a mailing list of people who “just might be interested in hearing the choir.” Singers would volunteer their time before and after rehearsals to stuff and stamp envelopes, hang posters, and work to get the word out about the music they were making. By 1989 Choral Arts Ensemble had a functioning Board of Directors and was gaining traction, but it was not without many hours of tireless work in forging connections with the community.

In 1991-1992 Rick was given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: an [unpaid] internship with Dale Warland! For that academic year, in his words, Rick “followed him around and learned everything [he] possibly could from him.” Warland helped Rick learn about the ins and outs of running a nonprofit organization including budgeting, marketing, sustainability, visibility, and building a board. Perhaps the most valuable lesson Rick learned from Dale Warland was that when you only rehearse once a week, every single minute of every rehearsal matters.

Inspired by Dale and seeing a need in the Rochester area, Rick returned to Rochester in 1992 and started another nonprofit: Honors Choirs of Southeast Minnesota (which, full disclosure, is now my full-time employer!). When I asked how and why he created this high school spin-off, he said, “I knew these kids could do more than I saw them doing at school. There’s some ways we could challenge these kids more. That would be exciting. That took off like wildfire.” What started as one high school choir has grown to a thriving organization with 5 ensembles of singers in grades 1-12!

Oh, and remember how Rick was in medical school in the ‘80s? During most of his tenure with Choral Arts Ensemble and Honors Choirs, he was also working as an Emergency Room Physician and raising two children with his wife and collaborative pianist, Jan. In 2003 he took a  “pause” from musical pursuits to devote more time to his family and “other job.” 

While Rick focused on family and medicine, Dr. Michael Culloton served as the Artistic Director of both Choral Arts ensemble and Honors Choirs, continuing the work of excellent choral music-making alongside building community connection. Reflecting on his time in Rochester, Michael said: 

What [Rick) built in Rochester is amazing… TWO organizations that were more about the singers and the music being made than they were about the conductor, and that is why the groups have thrived so much over the years. Because he built these organizations for the good of others, they have twice survived him stepping away and yielding the podium.

When Michael’s career path led him to Concordia College in 2012, Rick was ready to step back into the Artistic Director role, and the transition was nearly seamless. He and Jan continued to inspire hundreds of singers and audiences, collaborate with other arts organizations, travel with singers on local and international tours, and commission 65+ new choral works. 

Choral Arts Ensemble Fall 2024

Our next big transition happened in the spring of 2024 when Rick and Jan retired and we welcomed our new Artistic Director, Dr. Ryan Deignan. Our two organizations, thanks to the groundwork laid in the past, were able to perform an extensive search and find the right person to continue the choirs’ mission and vision. Ryan writes:

Choral Arts and Honors Choirs are two mainstays of the Rochester arts community that to me have operated a bit under the radar in the midwest region. Perhaps it is the humility of our founder Rick Kvam, but CAE/HC deserve to be known widely for our organizational strength (rare outside of large metro areas), over sixty five commissions, and the musical inspiration provided to thousands of singers and audiences over the past 40 years. I’m grateful to be a part of this rich legacy and look forward to maintaining and growing CAE/HC for years to come. 

Honor Choirs December 2024

Rick’s humble leadership has benefitted so many people and the entire southeast Minnesota community. Here are a few of his guiding principles that made his work and the organization sustainable and successful. 

• Sometimes you just have to get in there and do the hard work yourself! Rick says, “If you are really passionate about something, you’ll find a way to make it go.”
• Create, curate, and rely on your “village,” and embrace changes along the way.
• Learn all you can from your mentors and the people you serve. 
• Sometimes you need to take a break! When this happens, lean into your village to continue to sustain your mission. No one can do it all on their own. 
• Have a vision for what you want, both in the music itself and in the organization. “If you have a clear goal in mind, your trajectories are easier.”

The future of our two organizations is bright, thanks to Dr. Rick Kvam’s tenacity and relentless pursuit of choral excellence, and a community of singers, staff, board members, donors, and supporters who believe in the power of choral music. We look forward to the next 40 years of choral excellence in Rochester!