What are five words that inspire you in your work as a choral director?
Sigrid Johnson
1. Beauty
2. Ownership
3. Tenacity
4. Inclusion
5. Warmth
Sigrid Johnson served as an artist in residence on the voice and choral faculty at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, for 32 years. During her tenure as conductor of Manitou Singers, the 100-voice chorus for first-year women at St. Olaf, Johnson inspired more than 3,200 young women. She has been a lecturer and guest clinician at choral workshops and all-state music festivals in over 30 states, and she continues to enrich the musical experience of countless singers of all ages across the country. Johnson is known for her skill at blending voices, perfecting tone and assisting with vocal production — both psychologically and physiologically.
Johnson earned a bachelor of music degree in vocal performance from St. Cloud State University and a master of music degree in vocal performance from the University of Michigan. Prior to teaching at St. Olaf, she was on the voice faculty at the University of Minnesota-Minneapolis and Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota. Johnson also served as the associate conductor of VocalEssence (formerly known as the Dale Warland Singers) and as the music director of the Dale Warland Symphonic Chorus. She presented at the World Choral Symposium in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2008 and in Puerto Madryn, Argentina in 2011.