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Nick Strimple, currently the Interim Chair of Choral Music at Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California (USC), and Director of Music at Beverly Hills Presbyterian Church, has had a long, distinguished and versatile career. Born in 1946 in Amarillo, Texas, he was educated at Baylor University and the University of Southern California. Strimple is well-known as a scholar whose interests include twentieth century music, Jewish music, the music of Dvorák and other Czech composers, the aesthetics of sacred music, and virtually all aspects of choral music.

At USC, Strimple teaches all the Choral Literature and Sacred Music classes as well as Music and the Holocaust, one of the University’s diversity courses. His critically acclaimed book, Choral Music in the Twentieth Century, was released in 2002 and the second volume, Choral Music in the Nineteenth Century, is scheduled for publication in Spring 2008. He is recognized internationally for his work with Holocaust music. He has lectured on the subject at Yale University, Oxford University, Wellesley College, and other distinguished institutions, and served for ten years as a consultant to the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust. He has presented and performed Holocaust music programs throughout the United States and Europe. During 2001-02, Dr. 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, Vice President of the Beverly Hills International Music Festival, 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 and the Aminadav Aloni Music Foundation.

As a guest conductor, he has performed with the Philharmonia Orchestra (London), the Nuremberg Symphony, the Ensemble Vocal d'Aquitaine, the Slovak Radio Orchestra, the Janácek Philharmonic, the Prague Radio Choir, the New York Oratorio Society, the Hans Sachs Choir, and the Oregon Bach Festival, among others. His recordings of twentieth century choral music are released on the Naxos, Music & Arts, and 4-Tay labels. His 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 Pazaislis International Music Festival (Kaunas, Lithuania), the Vilnius International Music Festival, the Prague Musica Judaica Festival, and others. He has also prepared choruses for some of the world's greatest conductors, including Zubin Mehta, Michael Tilson-Thomas and Gerard Schwarz.

As a respected composer, Strimple has written concert and liturgical works, as well as film and television scores, and has served as arranger, or choral arranger, for Frank Sinatra, Rod Stewart, Air Supply, and other leading artists. He has received commissions from, among others, the Vienna International Organ Festival, the J. Paul Getty Museum, Diva Complex, Jorge Mester and 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.

Strimple 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 and Richard Willis (composition); Daniel Sternberg and Daniel Lewis (conducting), Martha Barkema and John Large (voice); and Malcolm Hamilton and Roger Keyes (piano).

Nick Strimple also serves as Music Director of the Choral Society of Southern California, the Los Angeles Zimriyah Chorale, and the Los Angeles Vocal & Instrumental Ensemble ("la vie").

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

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

2004-present: 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

5Composer Jan Hanuš

with Nick Strimple and Eliška Kleinová, sister of Gideon Klein, prior to a concert at the Church of St Margaret at Brevnov Monastery in Prague, 1995.