The Ensemble

The Bemidji Alumni Choir is one of Minnesota’s premiere choral organizations located in the Twin Cities, Minneapolis and St. Paul.

The Bemidji Alumni Choir (BAC) singers are virtually all former members of Dr. Paul Brandvik’s and Dr. P. Bradley Logan’s Bemidji State University Choir. Most of the singers sang with the choir on regional and national concert tours, including two performances in Carnegie Hall, as well as one or more of the choir’s 12 European or Israel tours. The choir practices the a cappella choral tradition which emphasizes accurate intonation, unity of tone within each section, and phrasing that captures the deeper meaning of the text. 

Artistic Direction

Louis Berg-Arnold is the co-Musical Director/Conductor of the Bemidji Alumni Choir. He studied Choral Conducting at Ave Maria University in Naples, FL. Louis has been an active performer in the Minnesota arts community for over 25 years. He has performed as a pianist, organist, violist and vocalist with various classical music ensembles, including the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra, Minnehaha Repertory Orchestra, St. John's Boys' Choir, St. Cloud Symphony Orchestra, and Opera Naples. Louis has also been a part of the Minnesota theater community, working as a pianist and Musical Director for companies such as Theater Latté Da, Lyric Arts, Actor's Theater and Crooner's Supper Club. Louis has served as the pianist for the Bemidji Alumni Choir since 2014.

The co-Musical Director/Conductor of the choir is Mark Carlson. Mark received his Bachelors degree in music education and studied choral conducting with Dr. Paul Brandvik. He sang in both the Bemidji Concert Choir and Chamber Singers. 

Mark's teaching career began at Crosby-Ironton, Minnesota, directing Crosby’s junior and senior high choirs. Mark was at Crosby-Ironton for six years. He also directed the St. Francis Catholic Church Choir in Brainerd for three years. Mark continues to enjoy singing and has sung with the Bemidji Alumni Choir for 13 of its past 19 seasons.

The Artistic Director and Conductor Emeritus of the Bemidji Alumni Choir, Dr. Paul Brandvik, was Director of Choral Activities at Bemidji State University (BSU) from 1967 to 1998. Among the honors awarded to Brandvik are the Burlington Northern Foundation Distinguished Teaching Award and the F. Melius Christianson Award for lifetime achievement in choral music. In addition to his conducting activities, Brandvik has composed, edited, or arranged over sixty published works for choirs.