About the St. Olaf Christmas Festival
The St. Olaf Christmas Festival is one of the oldest musical celebrations of Christmas in the United States. Started in 1912 by F. Melius Christiansen, founder of the St. Olaf College Music Department, the festival features more than 500 student musicians who are members of five choirs and the St. Olaf Orchestra.
Participating choral ensembles include the St. Olaf Choir, conducted by Anton Armstrong; the Viking Chorus and the Chapel Choir, both conducted by Christopher Aspaas; the Cantorei, conducted by John Ferguson; and the Manitou Singers, conducted by Sigrid Johnson. The St. Olaf Orchestra is conducted by Steven Amundson. Each group performs individually and as part of a mass ensemble.
The festival, which regularly is broadcast nationwide on public television and radio, is listed as one of five significant global holiday events in The New York Times International Datebook, and has been featured in hundreds of other publications, including TV Guide, The Wall Street Journal and the Los Angeles Times.
