Dwight Gustafson, former BJU fine arts dean, remembered as Renaissance man
BJU announced that Gustafson, 83, died Tuesday morning.
Lawson said Gustafson, who often conducted the university’s operas, was a serious teacher but with a strong sense of humor.
“He did enjoy being funny,” Lawson said. “He had some great one-liners. He was a great teacher who interjected his classes with these human-interest stories that made music theory come alive. But he could also be very serious when he was in the midst of an opera rehearsal. He was a tremendous inspiration who passed on a commitment to excellence.”
Gustafson not only taught classes and served as an administrator but also was known nationally for more than 160 arrangements and compositions, encompassing operas, hymns and orchestral works....