Axel Theimer

Professor of Music

Academy for Music and Performing Arts, Vienna
B.A., Saint John's University, 1971
M.F.A., University of Minnesota, 1974
D.M.A., University of Minnesota, 1984

Office: SJU Music 221
Phone Number: 320-363-3374
Email: [email protected]
Areas of Teaching and Research
  • Choral and Vocal Education, Vocal Pedagogy, Conducting Techniques
Biography
  • Dr. Axel Theimer, a native of Austria, where he was a member of the Vienna Boys Choir, is in his 48th year on the music faculty at St. John’s University and College of St. Benedict. He received much of his training in Vienna, continued his studies at Saint John’s University and completed graduate degrees at the University of Minnesota  - MFA in Choral Conducting (student of Dr. Thomas Lancaster) and DMA in Vocal Performance (student of Roy Schuessler).
  • He is an active recitalist, has presented master classes, workshops and seminars for state, regional, national and international music conventions and conferences and has conducted All State Choirs, Choral Festivals and Honor Choirs throughout the United States as well as in Europe and the Far East.
  • At St. John’s and St. Ben’s he directs the CSB/SJU Chamber Choir and SJU Men’s Chorus and teaches Choral Techniques and Vocal Pedagogy.
  • In 2001, he received the MN - ACDA Choir Director of the Year Award and, in 2004, was inducted to the Minnesota Music Educators Association’s “MMEA Hall of Fame”.  He is the 2011 recipient of the ACDA-MN F. Melius Christiansen Lifetime Achievement Award.
Publications
  • Original compositions and arrangements for Men’s Chorus, Women’s, Mixed and Children’s Choir are published by and available from Alliance Publications, Inc. Fish Creek, WI. (www.apimusic.org).
Special Committees/Organizations
  • In addition to his professional activities at SJU and CSB he is founder and music director of Kantorei (www.Kantorei.net), a Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul) choral ensemble, of Amadeus Chamber Symphony, (www.AmadeusChamberSymphony.org), a chamber orchestra for Central Minnesota musicians and audiences and is past music director and co-founder of the National Catholic Youth Choir (www.CatholicYouthChoir.org ). He is on the faculty, and is currently Executive Director of The VoiceCare Network. (www.voicecarenetwork.org).