Nils C. Halker II has been Parish Organist at Saint Clement’s since 2006. His musical formation began as a six-year-old treble singing in the Hancock Choir at Saint Mark’s Cathedral, eventually working his way down to bass in the Saint Mark’s Cathedral Choir. His piano studies also started when he was six, and continued through the end of high school. When he was 14 years old, he played his first church service on a pump organ at Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church near Annandale, Minnesota. This led to formal organ lessons at Saint Mark’s Cathedral. 

He began his undergraduate studies with a major in biology and a minor in music at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. He took his junior year abroad at the University of Durham, England. Nils came home to Minnesota to complete his undergraduate degree at the University of Minnesota. He then returned to England to pursue his master’s degree in ecotoxicology. Aside from music-making, he is Professional Development Specialist at the Science Museum of Minnesota. He works with K–12 teachers to improve the quality of science and math instruction for all students.