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Northern State University graduate and Frederick native Chris Maunu will be guest conductor for the 2025 South Dakota High School Honor Choir in Aberdeen. Courtesy photo.
Chris Maunu is looking forward to a homecoming as he returns to the Northern State University campus as guest conductor for the South Dakota Honor Choir.
Maunu is a Frederick native, the artistic director of the Pacific Youth Choir in Oregon and an affiliate professor at the Portland State University School of Music. He is a four-time GRAMMY Museum Music Educator Award finalist and was previously director of choirs at Arvada West High School in Colorado for 17 years.
The choir features 111 vocalists from across the state who will rehearse together for a week before performing at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 25 in the Johnson Fine Arts Center Jewett Theatre. General admission tickets are $10 and available the night of the show starting at 6:30 p.m.
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The vocalists arrived on campus Sunday, July 20. Maunu said they’ll rehearse about six hours a day to prepare for Friday’s concert, which will feature two of his own compositions — “Silentium” and “Wind of Light.”
Maunu, who has been invited to be guest conductor for events across the country, said he tries to include a couple of his own compositions in those performances. Hearing his works performed by a group of elite vocalists is humbling, he said.
“It’s going to be a fun concert with top-level singing,” he said.
Maunu, who graduated from Northern State University in 2003, said it’s an honor to return to South Dakota and lead the choir. He’s familiar with the dedication and work ethic the students have. They’ve had their music for about a month, and he’s sure they are prepared.
He was honored in 2018 as distinguished alumni at Northern State and delivered the commencement address that year.
Maunu said it took a long time and several years of sustained excellence before he started receiving guest conductor invitations. If he’s available, he accepts.
“It’s such a unique experience,” he said.
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With honor choir events, students who are accepted go through a rigorous audition process. They’re an elite group, he said, and their dedication and focus is exceptional.
At the same time, he said, each event is a new group of participants and presents unique challenges.
Guest conductor gigs have taken Maunu to Washington, Texas, Missouri, South Dakota, Hawaii and even England.
His most prestigious assignment, he said, was in March when he conducted the National Honor Choir in Texas. That choir featured 300 vocalists representing all 50 states.
Several Aberdeen vocalists in South Dakota Honor Choir
The South Dakota Honor Choir features 11 vocalists from Central High School in Aberdeen, including:
- Sopranos Allison Brenner, Cadynce German and Madeleine Latterell.
- Altos Rayven Dutenhoffer and Charlie Hemke.
- Tenors Kaden Aumer and Aiden Judd.
- Baritones Sam Raap and Tucker Reyelts.
- Basses Mason Duncan and Joey Johnson.
Also performing from the area is bass singer Jonah Pribyl from Hoven High School.
Northern State Associate Professor of Music Timothy Woods said this is the fifth time in his tenure that NSU has hosted this honor choir. He said it draws on the best of the best. The vocalists selected participated in live auditions in Huron, Rapid City, Freeman and Sioux Falls.
Through more than five decades, the university has hosted the honor choir 12 times.
Music faculty from universities across the state will assist as section leaders this week. They include:
- Darci Bultema, Northern State, sopranos.
- Jonathan Nero, Black Hills State, altos.
- David Holdhusen, University of South Dakota, tenors.
- David Dehoogh-Kliewer, University of Sioux Falls, basses.
