Biography

In the Spotlight

CATALOGUE

EVENTS

REVIEWS

AVAILABILITY

CONTACT

PRESS

CLIPS

HOME

Nick Strimple, faculty member in the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California (USC), and Director of Music at Beverly Hills Presbyterian Church, is a composer, conductor, scholar and author who has had a long and versatile career. His interests include twentieth century music, Jewish music, the music of Dvořák and other Czech composers, the aesthetics of sacred music, and virtually all aspects of choral music. Strimple also serves as Music Director of the Choral Society of Southern California and the Los Angeles Zimriyah Chorale.

Born in 1946 in Amarillo, Texas, he was educated at Baylor University (BM in composition) and the University of Southern California (MM in sacred music – Outstanding Masters Candidate, 1973; DMA in choral music – Outstanding Doctoral Candidate, 1976). His principle teachers include Charles C. Hirt, Robert H. Young and James H. Vail (choral conducting and sacred music); Halsey Stevens, Richard Willis and Thomas Hohstadt (composition); Marcel Couraud, Daniel Sternberg and Daniel Lewis (conducting); Martha Barkema and John Large (voice); Malcolm Hamilton, Roger Keyes and Dale Roller (piano); and Elwyn Wienandt, Arend Koole, Arthur Ness and Richard Wingell (musicology).

At USC, Strimple teaches classes in Choral Literature and Sacred Music as well as Holocaust and the Creative Impulse (for undergraduate students), and Music and the Holocaust (for graduate students in Music and/or Communications). He is the author of two critically acclaimed books, Choral Music in the Twentieth Century (2002) and Choral Music in the Nineteenth Century (2008).

Strimple is recognized internationally for his work with music related to the Holocaust. He has lectured on the subject at Yale University, Oxford University, Wellesley College, University of Miami, University of Minnesota, Oregon Bach Festival, Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies, Spertus Institute for Jewish Studies, Krakow Jewish Culture Festival and other distinguished institutions. He has presented lecture/concerts at national conventions of the American Musicological Society, the American Choral Directors Association, the Cantors Assembly and other organizations. He has served as a consultant to several museums and Holocaust Memorials including the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust and the Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw, Poland. During 2001-02, Strimple served on the California State Legislature Working Group for Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights Education (which resulted in legislation mandating the teaching of genocide awareness in California schools). He currently serves as Vice President of the David Nowakowsky Foundation, Artistic Director of the annual Los Angeles Interfaith Symposium and Concert, and sits on the Advisory Boards of the Young Musicians Foundation, the Jewish Music Commission of Los Angeles, the Aminadav Aloni Music Foundation and San Diego's Summer Bands at the Beach.

Strimple has conducted some of the world's most prominent ensembles including the London Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra and Chorus of the Polish National Opera, the Philharmonia Orchestra (London), the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra, the Slovak Radio Orchestra, London Voices, the Prague Radio Choir, the Ensemble Vocal d'Aquitaine (Bordeaux), the New York Oratorio Society and the Hans Sachs Choir (Nuremberg).

His recordings of twentieth century choral music are released on the Naxos, Music & Arts and 4-Tay labels. Strimple's choral ensembles have appeared at divisional and national ACDA conventions and at numerous European music festivals including the Prague Summer Festival, the Athens Festival, the Pažaislis International Music Festival (Kaunas, Lithuania), the Vilnius International Music Festival, the Prague Musica Iudaica Festival and others. He has also prepared choruses for several renowned conductors including Zubin Mehta, Michael Tilson-Thomas and Gerard Schwartz.

An established composer, Strimple has written concert and liturgical works and has received commissions from the Vienna International Organ Festival, the J. Paul Getty Museum, Diva Complex, Jorge Mester and others. Several of his large works - including the Christmas cantatas, the Pentecost cantata, and Sinfonia Breve - have been recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra. He has also composed film and television scores and has served as arranger and/or director for Frank Sinatra, Rod Stewart, Air Supply and other leading artists.

Strimple has received grants from the Lifebridge Foundation, City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department, Los Angeles Jewish Community Foundation, Cotsen Family Foundation, Roth Family Foundation and others.

Photo in text, top right: Strimple performing at Pažaislis International Music Festival, Kaunas, Lithuania, 1997. (photo courtesy of Myron Shapero)

Photo in text, bottom left: Strimple rehearsing at Vienna's Augustinerkirche,
Vienna International Organ Festival, 1990.

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

American Choral Directors Association

American Federation of Musicians, Local #47

American Musicological Society

American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP)

Chorus America

College Music Society

Czechoslovak Music Society

COMMITTEE SERVICE

2008-present: Chair, Repertoire and Standards Committee for Worship, American Choral Directors Association Western Division

2006-present: Co-Chair, Thornton School of Music Library Committee

2004-2010: Vice President, Board of Directors, Beverly Hills International Music Festival

2003-present: Member, Planning Committee, annual Los Angeles Interfaith Symposium & Concert

2001-2002: Member, California State Legislature Working Group for Holocaust, Genocide,

and Human Rights Education

2001-present: Member, Music Advisory Board, Young Musicians Foundation

2000-present: Vice President, Board of Directors, David Nowakowsky Foundation

1999-present: Artistic Director, Board of Directors, The Sounds of Healing Project

1999-present: Member, Advisory Board, Aminadav Aloni Music Foundation

1993-present: Member, Advisory Board, Jewish Music Commission

1995-98: Chair, American Choral Directors Association California State Repertory and Standards Committee for Community Choruses

1994-2000: Member, Program Committee, Los Angeles Master Chorale

1993-2000: Member, Advisory Board, David Nowakowsky Foundation

1993: Member, Chorus Selection Committee for 1994 American Choral Directors Association Western Division Convention

1976-77: Consultant, Music Commission, Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego

PHOTOS FROM THE ARCHIVE

 Nick Strimple recording with the Young Musicians Foundation Debut Orchestra at UCLA's Royce Hall in Los Angeles, 2000. (photo courtesy of the Milken Archive of Jewish Music)