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Andrew Last to succeed Tim Peter as Luther College
director of Collegiate Chorale and Norsemen

            DECORAH, Iowa—Luther College announces the appointment of Andrew C. Last, as the college’s director of Collegiate Chorale and Norsemen, and as assistant professor of music. Last will begin his duties at Luther in August.

            Last currently serves on the voice faculty at Concordia University, Nebraska, teaching applied voice to undergraduate majors and non-majors.

            In addition to his work there, he held the role of graduate assistant and Hixon-Lied Fellow at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, conducting the Big Red Singers and the City Campus Choir. He also served as assistant conductor to the University Singers, camp director of the Nebraska Show Choir Camp and Contest Director for the Midwest Cup.

            An experienced public school teacher, Last was director of choral activities at Xavier High School in Cedar Rapids where he conducted the Xavier Chorale, Voce Chamber Ensemble, Singing Saints and Xhilaration, and taught musical theatre, AP music theory and conducting courses.

            Last conducted the Northern Arizona University Singers during his time as a graduate assistant at Northern Arizona University. He also served as the assistant conductor for the Shrine of the Ages Choir and the NAU Vocal Jazz Ensemble.

            After graduating from Luther in 1997 he entered the teaching field as director of choral activities at Tipton High School in Tipton, Iowa. Last conducted the Concert Choir, the Select Women’s Chorus and the Mixed Choir, in addition to his teaching duties. Last served as the Iowa Choral Directors Association/Iowa High School Music Association liaison, and the EC-Iowa Choral Director’s association district representative.

            His extensive work as a guest clinician and adjudicator across Iowa and Nebraska has also brought him to New York and Alabama. Last is a member of the American Choral Directors Association, the Iowa Choral Directors Association, the Nebraska Choral Directors Association, Pi Kappa Lambda, Phi Kappa Phi and the International Thespian Society.

            He holds the bachelor’s degree in music education from Luther College, the masters of music in choral conducting from Northern Arizona University and is completing the doctor of musical arts degree in choral conducting from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln-School of Music.

            Last will succeed Timothy Peter, Luther professor of music and current director of Collegiate Chorale and Norsemen. Peter, who has served on the Luther faculty since 1991, will assume his new role as director of choral activities and professor of music at Stetson University in DeLand, Fla. in August.

            A Minnesota native, Peter is a 1986 graduate of Luther. He holds the master’s degree and the doctoral degree in music from the University of Arizona.  Before accepting a position with Luther, Peter taught as a high school choral director and church musician in Iowa and Arizona.

            Peter was head of the Luther music department from 2007-11. He conducts Collegiate Chorale, a 90-voice select junior-senior choral ensemble, and Norsemen, a first-year men’s 90-voice choir. His choir was selected to perform at the American Choral Directors National Conference in Chicago in 2011.

            Peter has been an integral part of Luther’s performing and academic music programs.  His teaching duties at Luther have included advanced choral methods and conducting.

            Collegiate Chorale is an auditioned ensemble featuring 85 mixed voices performing sacred choral works from a variety of periods and styles. The choir tours annually and has performed in concert with the American Symphony Orchestra at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall in New York City and with the Cedar Rapids and La Crosse symphony orchestras.

            Norsemen is the first-year men’s chorus consisting of approximately 90 men selected by audition. In addition to performing in the annual Christmas at Luther program, the Norsemen also assist in Sunday and daily chapel worship and present a spring program with Aurora, Luther’s choral ensemble for first-year women.

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