About the Conductor
Bruce Houglum
Music Associate Professor
The Concordia Orchestra, Conductor
The Concordia Orchestra performs under the baton of Bruce Houglum, who was named to the position of conductor in 1996. Houglum also serves as an associate professor in the music department, teaching instrumental conducting and horn lessons for music performance majors. He is active as a guest conductor, festival conductor, adjudicator and clinician.
Each holiday season, Houglum is heavily involved with the acclaimed Concordia Christmas Concerts. He conducts the orchestra for several pieces during the concerts in Moorhead and at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis.
Professional Background
Houglum graduated from Concordia in 1968, with a Bachelor of Music degree. In 1971, he graduated with a Master of Music degree in horn performance and conducting from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill.
After serving as director of music at public schools in Illinois and Minnesota, Houglum served as the director of orchestras for Moorhead Public Schools from 1972 to 1981. He has served as an instructor of music at Concordia since 1973 and worked as director of orchestras for Fargo (N.D.) South High School for 14 years.
He has received numerous teaching awards, including North Dakota Music Educator of the Year in 1991 and has several times been honored for inclusion in "Who's Who Among America's Teachers" and "Who's Who Among America's Musicians".
Houglum’s conducting teachers have included Bernard Rubenstein, John Paynter, Glenn Block and Paul J. Christiansen. Master class and rehearsal work has been with such acclaimed conductors as Sir Georg Solti, Zubin Mehta, Kurt Masur and Leonard Slatkin. As a hornist he has served as principal horn of several orchestras including the Chicago Chamber Players and the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony.
The Concordia Orchestra
