In Memoriam
We mourn the passing of Minnesota Chorale leaders who have left an indelible mark on who we are today.
Michael Dennis Browne
May 28, 1940 - March 29, 2026
Dear Friends:
It is with great sadness that I write about the passing of Michael Dennis Browne, who died peacefully yesterday morning surrounded by his loving family. Michael was a remarkable man – an incredible writer, poet, teacher, collaborator, colleague, and friend. His humanity was great, his generosity limitless, and his art profound. His poems opened our hearts to the joys and challenges of the human experience providing insight into ourselves and the world around us. For those less acquainted with Michael’s life and work, I have excerpted parts of his biography which chronicles his distinguished career.
Michael had a special love of choral music and as a librettist wrote many texts for music, working for years with composer Stephen Paulus. Their post-Holocaust oratorio, To Be Certain of the Dawn, which the Minnesota Chorale performed twice, was nominated for the 2006 Pulitzer Prize in music by the Minnesota Orchestra and recorded in 2008 with the Minnesota Orchestra under Osmo Vänskä. Other composers Michael worked with included John Foley S.J., Carolyn Jennings, Juliana Hall, Tim Takach and Craig Hella Johnson, with whom he collaborated on Considering Matthew Shepard.
Michael came to the United States in 1965 from England, where he was born in 1940 of mostly Irish ancestry. After graduating from the University of Iowa, he taught at Iowa, Columbia, Bennington, and the University of Minnesota. He was a professor emeritus at the University of Minnesota, where he taught for thirty-nine years, served a term as director of the creative writing program, and was a member of the Academy of Distinguished Teachers.
Michael’s poems have been published in many magazines and anthologies. His awards include fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Bush Foundation, the Jerome Foundation, and the McKnight Foundation. Two of his collections won the Minnesota Book Award for poetry. His most recent collection of poems, Build Me a Boat: Words for Music 1968 – 2018 was published by Carnegie Mellon in 2020 as part of the Carnegie Mellon University Poetry Series. It is a beautiful selection of works that Michael wrote for music over the past fifty years including “lyrics, song cycles, songs for children, excerpts from libretti—some of them in free verse, some of them formal—as well as poems that, while not written to be part of specific musical works, were nonetheless written with music in mind or under the influence of particular works. The result is a volume that sits comfortably between poetry and music, lyrical and rhythmic and memorable.”
When I think of Michael, I will remember his zest for life, his boundless creativity and curiosity, his passion for music, his love of spoken and written word, his melodious speaking voice, the twinkle in his eye, and his caring for family and friends.
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Our thoughts and prayers are with Michael’s family as they mourn his passing and celebrate his life and legacy. To Michael, we extend our deepest gratitude for the many ways you touched our lives and that of the greater choral community. The Minnesota Chorale will honor you at our upcoming Family of Choirs Concert on May 3 at 4pm at Roseville Lutheran Church. I know you have followed the road home, where you now rest in beauty and peace.
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Requiescat in pace, dear Friend.
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Kathy
Stephen Paulus and Michael Dennis Browne
Larry Fuchsberg
Dear Friends:
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of writer/music critic Larry Fuchsberg, who also served for many years as Director of Grants and Communications for the Minnesota Chorale. He died peacefully on Wednesday morning, October 8th, after a prolonged battle with Parkinson's Disease.
Larry was an extraordinary man! Brilliant and accomplished with a quick wit and clever turn of phrase, he was a voracious reader, who loved music, travel, food, and people. Many in the Twin Cities will remember his insightful and colorful concert critiques for the Star Tribune and MPR News. However, his varied career also included teaching, scholarship, a position with the American Composers Forum and even extended posts in the American Foreign Service as a cultural attaché.
Former Minnesota Chorale Executive Director Camille Kolles, recalls:
"Hiring Larry at the Chorale was a thrill in itself, and working alongside him was an ongoing delight of intellect and wit. I so enjoyed and admired his brilliance as well as his charm and exquisite writing style. I once remarked about a quality in his writing of grant proposals that I hadn’t quite seen before, in which each paragraph would lead compellingly and inexorably to the next, making for a uniquely enjoyable reading experience. He said something like, “Well, I did learn to write from reading 18th century novels….” He always brought an elevation of the mind to our work, including a gift for naming things. He has the credit for so aptly naming the “InChoir” series, which has served the Chorale these many years, along with the Chorale’s collaboration with composers, lyricists, and Habitat for Humanity, called Sing Me a Home. I look back on the period of working with Larry as a highlight and as a tremendous gift. He is thought of often and will be remembered always."
Following Camille as Executive Director, Bob Peskin writes:
“There aren’t enough adjectives to describe Larry: brilliant, erudite, thoughtful, cultured, playful, wise, humble are just a few that come to mind. Larry’s writing and thinking elevated the work we did together at the Chorale and gave voice to our highest aspirations as an organization. The way he faced his final illness with grace and courage was both heartbreaking and inspiring. But above all, I will remember Larry’s gentle kindness in the way he interacted with everyone. I’m grateful to have known and worked with such a remarkable person.”
For me, Larry was a touchstone in my professional life as a significant supporter and champion of my work, especially in regards to our Bridges program. His eloquent writing on the importance of collaboration and civic engagement clarified the role of Bridges within the Chorale's mission and continues to inform our programming today.
Larry was also a dear friend who listened intently and offered advice only when asked. His warmth, tenderness, generosity, talent, and wisdom will be greatly missed by all who knew him.
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Kathy Saltzman Romey
Artistic Director
There will be an open house to celebrate his life and birthday on October 26th from 1-4pm at the O'Halloran and Murphy Funeral Home on Snelling Avenue in St. Paul.
The Minnesota Chorale will also dedicate their upcoming Brahms Sing Along Concert on November 2nd at Westminster Church to Larry's memory.
Memorials can be offered to the Struthers Parkinson’s Center c/o Park Nicollet Foundation,
6500 Excelsior Blvd, St. Louis Park, MN 55426
or online at ParkNicollet.com/givetospc
Larry Fuchsberg's obituary may be read here.​​
Robert Berglund
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"With wings that I won in the passionate strivings of love
I shall mount to the light to which no sight has penetrated."
– Gustav Mahler
We mourn the passing of Minnesota Chorale founding conductor Robert Berglund, who died on September 24, 2024 at the age of 94. His distinguished career included 36 years as Professor of Music at Bethel College (now Bethel University) and 26 years as director of music at Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis.
Robert Berglund was a charismatic, visionary leader, who significantly impacted the choral landscape locally in the Twin Cities and nationally through his work with collegiate, church, and professional choirs. His founding of the Chorale in 1972 was rooted in his passion for large choral symphonic works and commitment to musical excellence. Minnesota Chorale Charter member Jon Lahann, wrote
"Bob saw the Chorale as a valuable asset to the Minnesota Orchestra’s need for a large, competent choir and started the long relationship between the two groups. He was unapologetic in his demands for excellence from his singers and inspired them to do their best. It’s a tribute to his insights, determination and the foundation that he laid that the Chorale has prospered for over 50 years."
In an 2008 interview with Peter Myers, Bob spoke about his own work as a conductor:
"Being a conductor of a choir, your success will be dependent not only on your musicianship and the technique that you can develop, but also your ability to influence people, to motivate people, to have a great experience with those people, utilizing the medium of choral music....from personal experiences – 36 years at the collegiate level, 40 years at the church choir level, and then a few years in between with groups on the outside like the Minnesota Chorale and so on – what an exciting life it is."
We are extremely grateful to Bob for his many contributions to the field and most especially, for his founding, support, and love of the Minnesota Chorale. His legacy continues on in our work and the many lives which he touched through choral music. We extend our deepest sympathy to the Berglund family as they celebrate his life and mourn his passing. May he rest in peace,
Kathy Saltzman Romey
Artistic Director
Dr. Berglund's obituary may be read here.
