Stephen Grimm

Education

Thomas Aquinas College, Cal State Northridge (BA) and Cal State Los Angeles (to Masters level).

Career

  • 1999 to present
    • Director of Music, Neighborhood Church.
    • Founder and Music Director, Crown City Children's Choir.
    • Founder and Music Director, Crown City Vocal Ensemble.
  • 1977 to 1999
    • Accompanist, guest conductor and soloist Pasadena Pro Musica

Memberships

  • SAG
  • AFTRA
  • AGMA
  • Music Teachers Association

Biographical Sketch

By age 5, Stephen started to compose his own tunes on the piano. In third grade, when his family moved to Pasadena, he began to sing in earnest. He was a member of the boy's choir at St Philip the Apostle Catholic School, and he and six of his brothers and sisters sang the early and Renaissance music they had learned at school, touring in a minibus as The Grimm Family Singers. To this day, Stephen says, his heart lies mostly with early music.

Stephen continued his study of music, piano and singing at Loyola High School, Thomas Aquinas College, Cal State Northridge and Cal State Los Angeles, studying with such notables as Paul Salamunovich. He has been a member of the Los Angeles Master Chorale since 1987, singing solos in such works as Britten's Rejoice in the Lamb, Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, and Christmas Oratorio with the Los Angeles Master Chorale. He has sung solos with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, including Bach's St. Matthew's Passion and the part of Prince Charming in a Disney Spectacular at the Hollywood Bowl.

Keenly interested in fostering talent in young people's lives, Stephen tutors privately and directs two choruses for youth (the Crown City Children's Chorus for grades 3-8, and the Crown City Vocal Ensemble for grades 9-12) in addition to directing the adult church choir.

As is fitting for the city in which he lives, Stephen has movie industry credits as well. You can hear him as the voice of a tornado in Twister, singing David Bowie's Space Oddity in Mr. Deeds, and demonically chanting "Sanguis Vita Est" ("Blood is Life") in Bram Stoker's Dracula.

"I love getting excited about the music and I love getting and communicating that excitement to choristers—that's really the best thing," he says. "And I love performances—to be up there, conduct it and have rapport and communication between myself and the musicians and the chorus. I want to feel that we go beyond what we've done in rehearsal to create something new, immediate and exciting."

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