MICHIGAN TECH VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS DEPARTMENT HOSTS
MILT OLSSON TRIBUTE
PROGRAM
Event Duration: 2 hours
Public Welcome | Rozsa Lobby
Michigan Technological University's Visual and Performing Arts Department will present a special tribute event from 1-3 p.m. on May 23, 2023, in memory of professor emeritus and former department chair, Dr. Milton “Milt” Olsson (1940-2021). The free event will take place at the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts and will feature musical performances, speakers, and a reception with light refreshments.
Olsson came to Tech in 1976 to fill the position of director of choral and orchestral activities. Dr. Olsson's efforts with the choral ensembles and the Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra quickly brought him to prominence on the local arts scene and in the State of Michigan. His accomplishments as chair of the Department of Fine Arts (now Visual and Performing Arts) since its formation in 1993 have helped to bring the arts into the mainstream of campus life.
“Milt Olsson has left such a musical legacy in our community,” says Jared Anderson, current chair of the Visual and Performing Arts Department. “He was a visionary leader who built a thriving musical and artistic scene at Michigan Tech and was instrumental in the building of the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts. So many people have been blessed by his encouragement, his musical voice, and his strong advocacy for the Arts at Michigan Tech and in the greater Keweenaw communities.”
From 1995 to 1997, Dr. Olsson served as president of the American Choral Directors Association of Michigan. He is in demand as a choral adjudicator and clinician, and is widely respected for his compositions and arrangements. The KSO premiered his Konzertstück in May 1999, and in 2000 the KSO and the Concert Choir gave the premiere of his Mass for Chorus and Orchestra.
Milt’s energetic energy was not only devoted to music. For 35 years, Olsson served as Advisor to MU BETA PSI and Mont Ripley Ski Patrol and coached Little League baseball for many years. A devoted Houghton Rotary member for many years, Olsson has received the Paul Harris Fellow Award. Most importantly, Olsson’s top priority throughout his life was his family – sons Dave, Stephan, and P.J., his wife Trudy, and his six grandchildren.
The joyful tribute event by the Visual and Performing Arts Department gives an opportunity for the community to celebrate Olsson’s life and will feature performances of his original compositions and speakers who will pay tribute to his tremendous contributions and dedication to Michigan Tech, the Keweenaw community, and his loving family.
For more information about this event, visit mtu.edu/rozsa.
Michigan Technological University is an Equal Opportunity Educational Institution/Equal Opportunity Employer that provides equal opportunity for all, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.