New Director of Fine Arts Brings Fresh Style to CSM
Next Performance to Feature Lessons and Carols
Omaha, Neb. – The 2015 College of Saint Mary Christmas Concert isn’t Chris Krampe’s first turn as conductor for a CSM concert. But this second outing on Friday, Dec. 4 promises to be just as fresh and new as his October debut.
Attendants at the fall concert were introduced to Krampe’s interactive style. In between songs, the college’s new director of fine arts discussed the works, giving perspective, history and anecdotes. The audience enjoyed not only traditional pieces, but also popular secular works such as “Let it Go” from the hit movie Frozen.
Krampe believes that music has an important role in society, beyond that of entertainment, in developing alternative, nonverbal forms of communication and human expression. “Especially now that the world is quickly approaching ‘global village-status’,” he says. “Our students need to be able to interact with foreign cultures, and that need will continue to increase. Communicating through art and culture will play a large role in the success of our country and its citizens in the centuries to come.”
The Iowa native has his own experience in interacting with foreign culture. Before completing his doctoral studies at the University of Kansas, Krampe was awarded a fellowship from the U.S. government to study and research in Croatia. So Krampe set out for the country’s Dalmatian Coast, where he researched and collected music from various libraries and archives, including the Visovac Monastery in Krka National Park. The monastery, situated on Visovac Island within the park, was established in the 14th century. It holds a rich collection of historic church manuscripts and rare books.
Krampe also performed several times in Zadar, an historic city that served as Dalmatia’s capital for more than 1,000 years (Zagreb now serves as capital for the Republic of Croatia). In 2012, he was made an honorary member of the Croatian Choral Conductors’ Association – the first American to receive that honor.
After graduating in 2012 with a doctorate in choral conducting, Krampe directed the United International College (Zhuhai, China) orchestra and choral ensembles. (He considers his student chamber concert combining Eastern-influenced music from America and Europe with traditional Chinese music to be a concert performance highlight.) Krampe then served as director of vocal activities at Cloud County Community College in Concordia, KS before coming to CSM.
To date, musicians have performed nine of Krampe’s original works, including “A Child’s Prayer” debuted by the University of Kansas Women’s Chorale (2010); and “Each Small Gleam” debuted by Drake University Choir (Iowa) and later aired on WOI-FM, Iowa’s National Public Radio station (2001).
Hints of his fresh perspective on musical presentation can be heard – and seen – in Krampe’s 2010 mixed-media performance of Hildegard von Bingen’s (1098-1179) monumental “Ordo Virtutum.” The liturgical drama, possibly the oldest surviving morality play, is performed with dancers accompanying the music. Krampe collaborated with the Kansas City Ballet and Storling Dance Theater for its regional tour. An excerpted production can be found on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjWH4DQuTSA).
The Iowa native has received numerous awards for his work. He was named Outstanding Graduate Choral conductor at the University of Kansas; his organ performances have garnered several awards from the Music Teachers’ National Association; and his voice can be heard on the 2012 recording of “Life and Breath: Choral Works by Rene Clausen”, which won a 2012 Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance.
The 2015 CSM Christmas concert will feature Lessons and Carols – a beloved Christmas tradition which began in England during the late 19th century. It has since gained worldwide popularity for its entertaining, beautiful depiction of the Christmas story. Scripture readings which tell the story of the promise of the Messiah and the birth of Jesus are interspersed with Christmas carols, hymns and choir music.
