American Choral Directors Association of Minnesota and its F. Melius Christiansen Endowment Fund

Thank you for making a special gift to ACDA-MN & its Endowment Fund. Your contribution will help sustain the distinguished legacy of exemplary choral music in Minnesota. As we celebrate ACDA-MN's Golden Anniversary during 2011-12, we are very grateful for your donation!

We encourage you to make your gift in memory or in honor of loved ones, musical mentors, friends or colleagues. Thank you!

Mission: The mission of the American Choral Directors Association of Minnesota is to support and inspire a community of choral musicians.

Purpose: The F. Melius Christiansen (FMC) Endowment Fund of the American Choral Directors Association of Minnesota (ACDA-MN) was established in 1996 to champion and foster the choral art in Minnesota. Members of the FMC Endowment Fund Committee are committed to providing the leadership and resources to guarantee a vibrant future for exemplary choral music in the state of the Minnesota. During the past fifteen years the FMC Endowment Fund Committee has awarded over $109,000 in scholarships to members of ACDA-MN to attend national and division ACDA conferences, ACDA-MN Summer Dialogue, the World Symposium on Choral Music, and graduate school. The FMC Endowment Fund also assists ACDA-MN with some administrative expenses. Founded in 1962, ACDA-MN hired its first full-time executive director in 2009 to administer the organization’s many activities. Contributions to the F. Melius Christiansen Endowment Fund are fully tax-deductible and may be made at any time.

Testimonials from ACDA-MN member scholarship recipients:
"The ACDA Summer Dialogue was a shot in the arm for my music education skills and ambitions. After finishing my first year of teaching, I craved advice and inspiration from experienced directors, and Dialogue provided that and more. The scholarship opened my eyes to the value of Summer Dialogue and helped me realize the importance of attending every year. Greatest thanks from me and my students!!" Ryan - 2011 Summer Dialogue scholarship recipient

"As a recipient of a scholarship to attend the 2011 World Symposium on Choral Music in Argentina, I was extremely grateful for the chance to immerse myself in the cross-cultural musical experience of a South American conference. I was able to connect with choirs, conductors and composers from every continent and have been in touch with many of these colleagues since I am home. I am already incorporating repertoire and ideas from the WSCM into my rehearsals and concerts. Thank you so much for your support!" Jane - 2011 World Symposium on Choral Music scholarship recipient

"I am ever grateful for the scholarship I received from the FMC Endowment Fund committee to help me in my pursuit of a doctorate in choral conducting. The days are long when one is a student, but the rewards last for a lifetime – and I look forward to sharing my increased love of choral music with singers for many, many years to come. Thank you all for your generous contributions to this noteworthy cause!" Michael - 2011 Graduate Study scholarship recipient

"The FMC Summer Dialogue scholarship was such an incredible gift to me because I had just graduated college in December and truly did not have the money to attend Summer Dialogue on my own! Dialogue was such a great way to get me inspired and feel confident about starting my first year of teaching choir. I was able to go into the new school year with a sense of encouragement and support, knowing that I had friends to go to with questions, concerns, or new ideas. I will definitely make a point to attend Dialogue as often as I can! Thank you!!" Natalie - 2011 Summer Dialogue scholarship recipient

"I was extremely thankful to receive an FMC scholarship from ACDA Minnesota this past year while completing my Master of Music degree. The support I received enabled me to meet financial obligations so that I could focus more fully on enriching my musical life through further education. Thank you for supporting me during that chapter in my life! Now that I have completed my degree, and am in a new job, I can give back to the choral community and share what I have learned with my students, local community, and ACDA colleagues!" Marie - 2011 Graduate Study scholarship recipient

Your contribution is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Please visit our websites for additional information:

ACDA-MN - http://acda-mn.org/ or

FMC Endowment Fund - http://fmcendowment.org/