JUBILATE CHOIR

Dr. James A. Nowack has been the Director of Choral Activities at Wisconsin Lutheran College since 1994. He conducts the Wisconsin Lutheran Choir and the Chamber Choir. Dr. Nowack holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Augsburg College in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Master of Music degrees in piano performance and choral conducting from Kent State University and the University of Minnesota, and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Iowa.

Under the direction of Dr. Nowack, the Wisconsin Lutheran Choir and Chamber Choir have developed a unified voice and a respected presence in the Midwest. The choirs tour regionally or nationally each year, and have traveled to international destinations including England, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, France, and Ireland. The choir also was featured in its own hour-long Christmas specials on Milwaukee Public Television in 2006 and 2010.

Dr. Nowack serves the church and community through workshops and festivals as conductor, clinician, and adjudicator, including the WELS Conference for Worship, Music, and the Arts; the WELS National Choral Festival; the Bel Canto Regional Artists Competition; and the American Choral Directors Association undergraduate conducting competition.

LAUDATE CHOIR

Jon Ziesemer, a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has served a variety of educational roles within the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod for over forty-one years.  He began his role as a music educator during his junior year of college, when he served as the band director of Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School. Upon graduation from Dr. Martin Luther College, Jon was assigned to St. John’s Lutheran School in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, where he served as principal, and teacher of the upper grades.  One of his additional duties was to direct the Senior Choir.  It was at this time that he was able to work with and be influenced by his accompanist, the late Prof. James Engel. 

In 1986, Jon accepted a call as upper grades teacher at Bloomington Lutheran School in Bloomington, Minnesota, where he continued his conducting with the Junior and Senior Choirs.  From 1990 to 1998, he organized and co-directed the Twin Cities’ Lutheran Grade School Music Festival. 

From 1998 until 2014, Jon was the Director of Choral Music at Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School.  In addition to his service as a religion instructor and guidance counselor, Jon directed the various high school choirs which earned Superior ratings at annual large ensemble contests sponsored by the Minnesota State High School League. In May of 2014, Ziesemer received his Master of Arts in Education degree with an emphasis in Instructional Technology from Wisconsin Lutheran College.

Presently, Jon is the Coordinator of Clinical Experiences and an adjunct professor in the School of Education at Wisconsin Lutheran College. In this role, he supervises student teachers, as well as individuals participating in vocal, instrumental and general music clinical experiences. In addition, Jon has served as a guest clinician/adjudicator for schools, districts and festivals in South Dakota, Minnesota, Southeastern Wisconsin and Western Wisconsin

Jon and his wife, Doreen, have been blessed with three children, their wonderful spouses, and six grandchildren. They love spending time together cooking, walking, cheering on their favorite Wisconsin sports teams, and babysitting their grandchildren.

EXULTATE CHOIR

Jeremy S. Bakken was born in 1981 in central Wisconsin of the United States of America. He began piano lessons at age four, played French horn in grade school and high school, and participated in church youth and adult choirs during his childhood and teenage years. He participated in high school band, pep band, and jazz band. Bakken attended Wisconsin Lutheran College (WLC) in Milwaukee, WI, and graduated in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science in Music Composition and Mathematics. While at WLC he participated in WLChoir, Revelation, Jazz Band, studied piano and cello, and demonstrated high academic and musical scholarship in music theory, music history, counterpoint, arranging and composition.

Upon graduation, Bakken worked full-time for Milwaukee-based music company Beihoff Music Corp. as Store Manager, Internet Administrator, and Piano Division Manager. In late 2006 he moved into a position with the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) as the Administrative Assistant for Youth Discipleship. His duties included Internet management, office management, and project coordination. He also directed Revelaton of Wisconsin Lutheran College from 2005-2008.

In fall 2009 Bakken relocated to Albuquerque, NM, where he attended the University of New Mexico to study Music Composition and Choral Conducting. He was awarded his master's degree, with distinction, in May 2013. In 2017 Bakken completed course work and final exams (ABD) toward a doctorate in choral music at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, which he completed in December 2022.

In 2016 Bakken returned to Milwaukee to begin working full-time as Director of Worship and Sacred Music at Northwestern Publishing House (NPH). His duties include editing music published by NPH and purchasing music from other publishers that is sold by NPH, among other activities.

Bakken has received many commissions for new compositions and arrangements, has published music with several U. S. music publishers, and has performed professionally across the country with Branches Band. He has performed throughout the U.S. and Asia with the USC Thornton Chamber Singers. He has been active in worship planning and music wherever he has lived. He attends Trinity Lutheran Church in Waukesha, WI, where he serves as the director of the adult mixed choir and coordinates the liturgical ensemble Trinitas.