Bemidji State Choir Director Paul Brandvik Remembered for Lasting Legacy

Paul Brandvik, a fixture of Bemidji State University music for more than three decades, died on Tuesday, December 16, at the age of 88. Brandvik directed choirs at BSU for 31 years, and his influence extended beyond campus into churches, concert halls and community events across Beltrami County and the broader region.

Brandvik conducted the Bemidji Choir on tours throughout the United States, Europe and Israel, and he founded the well known Madrigal Dinners that became a local holiday tradition. He composed, edited or arranged more than 50 choral works and his contributions earned him induction into the Minnesota Music Educators Association Hall of Fame. Many former students credit him with shaping careers in music and education, and his record of public performances helped raise the profile of Bemidji as a center for choral music.

For him, there wasn’t a separation between good music and good people. He was commanding, he could just hold the room. You just felt his presence, his generosity and his expectations. You were at your best when you were creating the best. said Garrett Lathe, a 1996 BSU graduate who studied and sang under Brandvik.

The local impact of Brandvik's work is both cultural and economic. Regular concerts and the Madrigal Dinners drew audiences to Bemidji, generating activity for restaurants, hotels and retail during performance weekends. Brandvik's emphasis on high level university arts programming also played a role in student recruitment and retention at BSU, contributing to the university's role as an anchor institution in Beltrami County. His passing highlights the importance of sustaining funding and institutional support for arts education, a policy area that affects long term cultural vibrancy and local economic activity tied to events and tourism.

Brandvik is survived by his wife Mary Lou, son David, daughter Ahna and six granddaughters. A celebration of his life is scheduled for January 2 in St. Paul, where many former students and colleagues will participate in a tribute to his decades of teaching and performance.