About Exultate

Exultate is a chamber choir and orchestra founded in 1996 by Dr. Thomas D. Rossin, conductor, with Dr. Stephen Gabrielsen, accompanist. (Gabe retired from Exultate in 2008). Exultate is the Twin Cities' only professional choir with a self-contained orchestra. The group's normal size is about 45 singers and 22 instrumentalists. Once a year Exultate expands its ranks to become a larger-than-chamber "festival" choir and orchestra, performing and recording such major works for voices and instruments as A German Requiem by Brahms (sung in English), The Seven Last Words of Christ by Théodore Dubois (also in English), Mozart's Grand Mass in C Minor, Francis Poulenc's Gloria, the Mass in B Minor by Johann Sebastian Bach and the Requiems of Gabriel Fauré and John Rutter.

Exultate has produced nineteen recordings so far - seven are Christmas albums with unique Christmas carol arrangements, many written especially for Exultate. The other twelve recordings are choral masterworks and works for organ or piano. Please go to Exultate Recordings to see more information on recordings available. Exultate is a member of Chorus America, the Association of Professional Vocal Ensembles.     List of Exultate personnel

Thomas D. Rossin, Conductor Thomas D. Rossin, in addition to being the founder and conductor of Exultate, is a composer and church musician. In the past, Dr. Rossin has been Associate Conductor and General Manager of the National Lutheran Choir, Director of Choral Activities and Chair of the Music Department at Augsburg College, Director of Choral Activities at St. Cloud State University and Director of Vocal Music at Brainerd High School. He holds the Bachelor of Music Education (B.M.E.) degree from Valparaiso University, the Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) degree in choral conducting from the University of Minnesota, and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree from the University of Minnesota. His Doctoral dissertation topic was an analysis of the marginal notations made by Johann Sebastian Bach in his personal Bible. An active leader in the field of choral-music education, Dr. Rossin is past President of the Minnesota chapter of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). He has choral compositions published by Concordia Publishing House and Kjos Music Press.

Stephen Gabrielsen, Accompanist (1939-2013) Stephen Gabrielsen, in addition to being the accompanist for Exultate from 1996-2008, was professor of music at Augsburg College in Minneapolis, MN, where he taught organ and music theory for 46 years and served as the college organist. Dr. Gabrielsen held the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree from Augsburg College, the Master of Arts (M.A.) degree from the University of Minnesota and the Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) degree in organ performance from the University of Minnesota. Dr. Gabrielsen was a scholar of the Lutheran World Federation and a student of Michael Schneider in Cologne, Germany. He was a Fellow of the American Guild of Organists and a published composer of organ and choral music. During his long career, he performed recitals and taught music workshops in more than 30 states and several foreign countries. Gabe died on April 8, 2013 after an eight year long fight with Parkinson's Disease. He is missed greatly.

Contact Dr. Rossin

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