By: Soo Asheim
The Fargo-Moorhead Master Chorale will perform composer Rene’ Clausen’s masterpiece Memorial, written in 2003 for the American Choral Directors Association for that year’s commemoration of the September 11th tragedies. Rene’ Clausen will be guest-conducting the performance in New York City in A Concert of Commemoration, Honoring the 10th Anniversary of September 11th.
Principal Conductor for Distinguished Concerts International in New York City, Dr. Jonathan Griffith is quoted stating: “The Fargo-Moorhead Master Chorale received this invitation because of the quality and high level of musicianship demonstrated by its members. It is quite an honor just to be invited to perform in New York City. These wonderful musicians not only represent a high quality of music and education, but they also become ambassadors for the entire community.”
Congratulations to the members of the F/M Master Chorale who have achieved such high accolades and success. However, as one member said recently, much of the Fargo-Moorhead Master Chorale’s achieved success is in large part due to the leadership and dedication of Dr. Clausen.
AN UNASSUMING MASTER OF MUSIC
Dr. Rene’ Clausen, an Associate Professor of Music at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, has conducted the Concordia Choir since 1986, and has frequently been featured on Public Broadcasting stations throughout the United States winning several awards for Concordia Christmas Concerts.
Dr. Clausen has written dozens of commissioned compositions, among them Memorial, which will be performed during this year’s 9/11 Commemoration. Another is Crying for a Dream. Both compositions he wrote for the American Choral Directors Association. Dr. Clausen, a renowned conductor, is often requested to be a guest conductor. He has performed in Carnegie Hall in New York City conducting works of Handel’s Messiah, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Brahms’ Requiem, and Britten’s War Requiem, as well as some of his own works, such as Gloria.
Rene’ Clausen’s talent is both an inherited talent and one of innate possession of musical genius far beyond what either of his parents may have offered to his gene pool.
His mother played the trombone and sang in the local church choir. His dad, Rene’ describes as very musical and a self-instructed organist, who also sang for the local church choir.
Rene’ Clausen’s first formal introduction to music was during an elementary school summer band program, where the first instrument he learned to play was the saxophone. Rene’s two sisters also played instruments, so along the way, Rene’s musical abilities expanded from the saxophone to the French horn, trumpet, flute, tuba, piano and guitar.
The Clausen family moved several times during Rene’s elementary and secondary school years. Rene’s dad was an elementary school teacher with a touch of “wander-lust” that finally led to the west coast, which is where Rene’ considers his original home state as that’s where his family remained the longest. As a high school student, music was not his sole interest. Rene’ played several sports and loved science. However, like a mystical Greek Muse, the creativity and production of music kept calling to him, so that by the time he arrived at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, he knew music education would be his first degree and the key to his future. Today Dr. Rene’ Clausen has earned three degrees: a Master of Music Performance and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree are from the University of Illinois, Urbana.
Another major “key” in Rene’ Clausen’s life also entered his world at St. Olaf College during choir practice when he met his wife, Frankie. Frankie and Rene’ Clausen have been married thirty-seven years and are the parents of three young adults who all graduated from Moorhead High School. Frankie Clausen is a music teacher at Hawthorn Elementary in Fargo.
LEGACY and MENTORING
Rene’ Clausen is far less concerned about his legacy than he is about being a positive influence on the young people he reaches. His philosophy is about the shaping and enriching of choirs, and that the choral ensembles should be about “we,” not “me.” “Teaching music to young adults can foster how they love and trust, and it can be a way to close the circle for communication between people. It’s almost impossible to be angry when making music and singing.” Dr. Clausen’s “Memorial” piece is a hopeful tribute to the healing of 9/11.
In 1996 the Paul J. and Eleanor Christiansen Chair in Choral Music at Concordia was bestowed upon Rene’ Clausen, and in 1998 Dr. Clausen created the Rene’ Clausen Choral School, an intensive five-day program for choral conductors. He is also the founder of the Rene’ Clausen Music Company.