Josh Nannestad
HostJoshua Hawkins Nannestad is tenured Associate Professor and Director of Music Education at Morningside University in Sioux City, Iowa, where he teaches methods, literature, and music history. As Associate Director of Choral Activities, he conducts the Morningside Cantabile and the Symphonic Chorus.
A lifelong church musician, he has served a variety of roles in Presbyterian, Lutheran, Episcopalian, and UCC congregations, often alongside his wife Joanna Hawkins Nannestad.
Dr. Nannestad currently sits on the boards of KWIT/Siouxland Public Media and the Sioux City Chamber Music Society. He previously served as President of the board of SHARE, the Southeastern Hub for Arts Resources in Education, and as accompanist for the SHARE Children's Choir. He has served as the College and University Resource & Repertoire chair for the Oklahoma Choral Directors Association, as well as a member of the Music Advisory Panel for the Oklahoma Arts Institute.
Honors and Awards
- Faculty Senate Award for Excellence in Scholarship, SOSU School of Arts and Sciences, 2019.
- Faculty Senate Award for Excellence in Teaching, SOSU School of Arts and Sciences, 2018.
- Richard Kegerreis Scholar, Eastern Division ACDA, 2010.
- Allen Lannom Award for Young Conductors, Massachusetts ACDA, 2006.
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Music for difficult times: selections from the Bach cello suite in d minor and Shostakovich Symphony #8. Also, a performance of a few of the Pictures at an Exhibition by the Minnesota Orchestra and Eiji Oue. -
Josh Nannestad explores connections between western art music and the work of American pop songwriter Paul Simon. Debussy, Bernstein, JS Bach, Beethoven, and Purcell are punctuated with several Simon tunes. -
Happy New Year! Dr J programs new releases: a major work from Hania Rani, and excerpts from a concept album about Orpheus featuring music of Monteverdi, Caccini, and Gluck.
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Dr. J gives us history and context for the first opera ever written expressly for television in the United States: Gian-Carlo Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors. Hear the original production from Studio 8H in Rockefeller Center, 1951, conducted by Thomas Schippers. -
Josh Nannestad guides us through glorious music from musicians that we lost in 2025. This episode includes songwriter Tom Lehrer, conductors Martin Neary and Matthew Best, and composer Sophia Gubaidulina.
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Josh Nannestad guides us through glorious music from performers we lost in 2025. This week we remember conductors Christoph von Dohnanyi and Roger Norrington as well as pianist Alfred Brendel.
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Listen To This offers highlights from Morningside University's Christmas program "Heal Our World, Great Prince of Peace". Choirs, bands, string ensemble, and pipe organ music around the theme of peace. -
Act II of Jerod Impichchaachaaha Tate's mighty celebration of Chickasaw culture, Lowak Shoppola. Native musicians, symphony orchestra, children's choir, soloists, and storytellers deliver the epic tales. A little Debussy and Rimsky-Korsakov to finsih out the hour.
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For Native American Heritage Month and the day after Thanksgiving, a varied program of (mostly) American music. We will hear the first hald of Lowak Shoppola, a celebration of Chickasaw culture, by Oklahoma Jerod Impichchaachaaha Tate, followed by exceprts from Symphony Americana (Mark O'Connell) and Elijah (Felix Mendelssohn).
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A series of coincidences for this particular day in November and the fathers - and father figures - of big name composers. Mozart Beethoven Copland and Schumann on this episode of Listen To This.
