J. A. Holvik

• Head of Norse Department 1923-1952

• Band Director 1928-1949

Biography

Johan A. Holvik came to Concordia in 1923 to head the Norse Department. The son of Norwegian immigrant parents, Holvik attended St. Olaf College where his passions for Norway and music were honed. After graduating in 1907, Holvik attended the University of Oslo and later received a master’s degree from St. Olaf in 1913. In his academic life, Holvik discovered that many students who had Norwegian parents and grandparents did not have a thorough grasp of the Norwegian language and thus he authored several beginning Norwegian textbooks.

Holvik also had a great interest in the Kensington Runestone and worked for years to expose the artifact as a fake. As a musician and director, he was meticulous and strived to express the composer’s meaning in each piece. Holvik served as Concordia’s band director for 21 years. In that time, he led the band on its first tours out of the region including a trip to the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair and to Norway in 1935. Holvik was named Knight, First Class, of the Order of St. Olaf by the Norwegian King in 1926. His students then nicknamed him “The Duke,” a title he kept for the rest of his career.