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The American choral conductor and tenor, Nils Klykken, obtained his Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from the University of Michigan (May 2009). In Michigan, He sang with the University of Michigan Chamber Choir and the professional ensemble Blackbird Chorus, under the direction of Jerry Blackstone. He obtained his his Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from the Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester. He has studied conducting under the direction of William Weinert, Paul Rardin, Brad Lubman, and Julie Skadsem. He has participated in master-classes under the direction of Jerry Blackstone, Bruce Chamberlain, James Jordan, and Dennis Shrock. As a tenor singer, he has studied voice under the direction of Matthew Valverde, Rico Serbo, and Stephen West.
Upon graduating Nils Klykken established the choral music education program at University Preparatory Academy in Detroit, Michigan. During this time, he also served as the Music Director of The Arbor Consort, a Renaissance choir based out of Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Nils Klykken obtained his Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting from the Eastman School of Music. In addition to his responsibilities at school, he served as the Music Director at First Presbyterian Church in Victor, New York. He sang in the Eastman Chorale (Director: William Weinert) and the Eastman-Rochester Chorus. He frequently sang with the Rochester-area professional ensemble, Voices Chamber Choir (Director: William Weinert). He seeks innovative ways to breathe new life into old masterpieces with a focus on conscious improvisation as musical agency allows his ensembles to reinterpret musical meaning and relevancy in the 21st century. He enjoys collaborating with vocal soloists and instrumentalists within the confines of chamber ensembles, where he cultivates soloistic singing and playing within the larger texture. In September 2016, he employed these techniques in his lecture-recital entitled, “Warum? Seeking an Improvisatory Model for Performing the Brahms Motets” in which he explored ideals of historical performance practices and 21st-century improvisation with his choir, the Blue Flower Singers. For his research and performance, Klykken was a nominee for the Eastman School of Music’s 2017 Lecture Recital prize.
Since Fall 2018, Nils Klykken is Assistant Professor of Choral Music at SUNY Potsdam: Crane School of Music faculty. His conducting and creative work is centered around evolving choral-music practices for the 21st century: He is interested in how historical performance-practices in Western Art Music can serve as referents for 21st-century improvisation, the exploration of notationless-music traditions in choral settings, and the intersections between music performance, music education, democratic processes, and social justice. He has served as a guest conductor for Regional All-State Choirs in the State of New York and has presented at regional and national conferences, including the American Choral Directors Association, The Society for Music Teacher Education, and the New York State School Music Association. |
