Dr. Thomas Holm

Education:
D.M.A., University of Illinois
M.Mus., University of Alberta
M.Mus., University of Idaho
B.S.M., Big Sky Bible College

712-707-7065
tholm@nwciowa.edu

Directs: A cappella Choir and Heritage Singers

A member of Northwestern's faculty since 2000, Dr. Holm teaches a wide variety of choral, vocal and music history courses in addition to directing choral ensembles. He also conducts the Sioux County Oratorio Chorus.

Holm was on sabbatical in Taiwan in 2016–17 and again in 2023, teaching courses at a university as well as directing various choral and instrumental ensembles and offering workshops and master classes in choral methods and conducting techniques. He has returned to Taiwan nearly every year since then and has prepared 15 Taiwanese choral works for performance by American choirs and conductors.

Prior to coming to Northwestern College, he served as director of choirs at The King's University College in Edmonton, Alberta, and as chair of the fine arts department and music professor at Prairie Bible College in Three Hills, Alberta, Canada. Dr. Holm is the recipient of two Canada Council choral conducting grants, as well as the two-year Sir Frederick Haultain Fellowship awarded by the Province of Alberta for outstanding academic scholarship in the arts.

+Publications and presentationsCreated editions of 13 Taiwanese choral works for publication to non-Mandarin-speaking choral musicians. Contributor to Iowa Choral Directors Sounding Board publication. Topics have included choral and tuning techniques, warmups and literature reviews. Has led numerous guest conducting workshops for high school choirs in Iowa, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon. "Explore Beautiful Choral Music from Taiwan," a virtual interest session for the 2021 American Choral Directors Association National Convention, featuring explanation and performance of ten works. "Arvo Pärt's Miserere: an overview," presented in March 2010 at the Arvo Pärt and Contemporary Spirituality Conference, Boston University. "Choosing Literature for a Powerful Performance," published in the spring 2004 edition of Melisma, the official publication of the North Central American Choral Directors Association.

+Professional experienceDirector, Sioux County Oratorio Chorus, 2001 to present Guest conductor for Taiwanese choirs including Formosa Singers, Taiwan Youth Festival Chorus and Consolation Singers Assistant Conductor, University of Illinois Varsity Men's Glee Club Director of Choral Ensembles, The King's University College, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Chairman, Fine Arts Department, Prairie Bible College, Three Hills, Alberta, Canada

+MembershipsAmerican Choral Directors Association Iowa Choral Directors Association

+HonorsCanada Council Study Grant in Choral Music, 1995 Province of Alberta Sir Frederick Haultain Fellowship, 1993 and 1994