David Oliver Thorsen

David Oliver Thorsen, Professor Emeritus and founding member of the School of Music, Cal State Fullerton, passed away  on Sunday, October 10, 2021, surrounded by family in Fullerton, California where he had resided for 57 years. Born in Holland, Michigan on June 6, 1927, Dave is the son of Oliver Theodore Thorsen and Nora Arntzen Thorsen who settled in Escanaba, Michigan, where Dave spent his formative years with his younger sister, Norma. All four grandparents had emigrated from Norway to Michigan in the late 1800s.

 At the age of sixteen, Dave moved to Long Beach, California with his family and attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy at graduation in 1945 to serve in WWII and was assigned for duty at the Naval Hospital in Corona, California where he was a medic for the next eighteen months. His service was evidenced by the tattoo on his upper arm that read ‘U.S.N.’

After an honorable discharge from the navy, Dave began his formal college education by enrolling as a music education major receiving music degrees from both University of Redlands and Occidental College along with a California teaching credential. At Redlands, he met Cathrynn Ellen Bossard. Dave and Katie, as she was known, were married on July 12, 1952 in San Diego, California welcoming son, Paul David, in 1954 and daughter, Karen Marie, in 1961. They were married for 64 years until Katie passed in August 2016.

Dave began his teaching career in Pasadena at McKinley Jr. High in 1952 and John Muir College in 1953. In 1954, he transferred to Pasadena City College where he directed the choirs and taught conducting. In 1960, at age 33, he was asked by the president of the newly opened Orange County State College, which eventually became California State University, Fullerton, to join the music department. Charged with building the choral program, Dave took the challenge seriously by continuing to strengthen the department throughout his 35 years on the music faculty. He toured with his choirs both in the United States and in Europe in order to attract talented singers from other areas. Conducting numerous state choirs also brought more singers to CSUF and expanded its reputation as a tour de force in the choral world.

Most summers were spent studying with well known conductors such as Robert Shaw to whom he was an assistant for four summers in San Diego, Howard Swan, Julius Herford, and Helmuth Rilling. Dave was also involved in organizing, teaching, and conducting at numerous music festivals. Dave spent fifteen summers at the Oregon Bach Festival in Eugene, five summers at the International Bach Academy in Stuttgart, Germany, and four at the Summer Arts Festival in Fairbanks, Alaska. In addition, he was Director of Music at churches in the Pasadena area and in Orange County including Oneonta Congregational in South Pasadena, First Presbyterian in Pasadena, First Presbyterian in Fullerton, and First Presbyterian in Anaheim where he was Minister of Music for twelve years.

Dave is a past president of the American Choral Directors’ Association (ACDA), the National Association of Church Musicians, and served on the board of the International Federation of Choral Music (IFCM) where his University Singers represented the US at the first “World Symposium of Choral Music” held in Vienna, Austria in 1987. He served as Vice-President of the Southern California Vocal Association, President of the Choral Conductors’ Guild of California, President of the National Association of Church Musicians, and was a member of California Music Educators’ Association, Pi Kappa Lambda, and Phi Mu Alpha.

Under Dave’s direction, highlights of the University Singers include  participation in Mahler’s Second, the final concert led by Zubin Mehta, outgoing conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 1977 and in the first concert, Beethoven’s Ninth, led by Carlo Maria Giulini as incoming conductor in 1978. Dave was CSUF Music Department Chair for a number of years and headed the choral department throughout his tenure before retiring in 1995. CSUF honored him by naming the choir rehearsal room Thorsen Hall.

Dave continued to teach although with a new focus. His childhood hobby was magic and, after retirement, he went back to CSUF to teach magic classes in the Theater Department. Word of his excellent teaching skills was heard by those at the Academy of Magical Arts in Hollywood (otherwise known as the Magic Castle). Dave was already a charter member of the Castle having joined upon its opening in 1963. A representative was sent to observe his class at CSUF and he was invited to teach at the Castle which he did for the next twenty years. He also performed onstage and when asked, “How did you do that?”, he would answer with a straight face, “Very well.” Dave is responsible for bringing in hundreds of new members from all over the world to the ‘Mecca of Magic’ during his many years of teaching there. He was also a member of the Society of American Magicians.

In addition to having a very demanding professional life, Dave was a warm, loving and ever-present father and grandfather. From chauffeuring kids to the beach and school, to attending numerous basketball games, dance recitals, plays and concerts and providing travel opportunities, Dave, along with Katie  could be counted on to be there for the family. Moreover, Dave was always ready and willing to entertain them and their friends with his feats of magic. Dave is known by his grandchildren as their “Magic Grandpa” a title he was most proud to earn.

Dave was an avid reader and chose anything from John Grisham to non-fiction laced with politics or historical fiction. He was a game player favoring card games like canasta, 3 to 13, and rummy tiles and was always up for a game of mahjong or dominoes. Dave discovered a love for painting in an abstract geometric style known as Hard-edge. A passing interest in genealogy arose when Dave traced his Norwegian ancestry back to the Vikings. He was self-disciplined in exercise throughout his life which included swimming, running, and even going to the gym three days a week into his nineties. 

There are thousands of former students of music and magic, church choir members, friends and acquaintances who have had the privilege and the good fortune to experience the value and pleasure of working with David Thorsen during his fifty plus years as an educator. Teaching was what he was born to do and he did it extremely well.

Dave is survived by his son, Paul Thorsen (Gail) of La Habra, his daughter, Karen McClung (William) of Fullerton, niece, Maren Killian of Portland, OR, six grandchildren, Alia Thorsen, Jericho Azizi (Komron), Ashley Robertson (Ryan), Micah McClung, Jason McClung, Katie Grace McClung, two great-grandchildren, Jared and Elliana Robertson.

 A memorial service is planned for Spring, 2022. Details will be announced at a later time. Contributions honoring the memory of David Thorsen can be made in support of an endowed scholarship in his name in the School of Music at Cal State Fullerton. 

Checks may be made payable to: CSFPF (Cal State Fullerton Philanthropic Foundation), with "David Thorsen Endowment" written in the memo line, and mailed to: C S F P F , ATTN: College of the Arts, PO Box 843730,Los Angeles, CA 90084-3730 or gifts can be made online at giving.fullerton.edu  1.) Click "Make A Gift Now" 2.) Click "Browse List", select "Colleges" and College of the Arts, 3.) Click "Select an Area of Support", and choose "Scholarship", 4.) Scroll down the opportunity list to select "David Thorsen Endowment."  Donors may call the College of the Arts Development Office for more information on how to make a gift at 657-278-8683 or via email at [email protected].