Roy Klassen
Music Program Director & Faculty
Choral Music Director
Although Roy Klassen's accomplishments as an operatic performer, international soloist and chorister, and respected clinician and adjudicator for choral competitions earn him accolades and admiration from many, it is his guiding role as mentor, director and professor at FPU for over 30 years that demonstrates his commitment to students and his desire to keep the traditions of choral excellence and musical integrity alive at FPU.
"Choral music has always been a passion of mine and being able to teach it to others is a realization of God’s calling in my life. It has always been my goal to help students present choral music in such a way as to ‘force’ the audience to experience life in a new way. The job of the performer is to connect with individuals in the audience and affect their attitude toward life. In this way, choral music can change people and eventually change the world.
“The involvement and interaction with students is the most enjoyable aspect of my job, although I also experience a great deal of satisfaction when my interaction results in beautiful and meaningful choral music presentations. Since I travel a lot with my students, we experience a familial bond that transcends the classroom experience. We eat together, play together and ride on a bus together. This common interaction is a great atmosphere for mentoring. Whilst I mentor some of my students as music education majors, the times of individual, less formal contact are most rewarding. Over the years, it has been a sincere blessing to see the choir members as individuals with joys and pains.
“At a private institution one must rely on gifts from donors to make things happen. I believe this interaction with people who love the university and have the capability to donate money give the brick and mortar a more personal ownership. It means a great deal to me that there are people in our supportive community who care enough about Fresno Pacific to give their hard-earned money to make the dreams of the fine arts department come to a higher level of reality.”
