Organ Study at Westminster Choir College

Michael J. Diorio earned degrees in organ performance, with piano and music history concentrations from Westminster Choir College, the Institute of Sacred Music and the School of Music at Yale University, and the College of Fine Arts at Boston University, respectively. His principal teachers in organ were Eugene Roan, Martin Jean, and James David Christie. Piano studies were with Philip Sbrolla and Phyllis Lehrer. Studies in musicology have led to Dr. Diorio serving as a special project editor for Carus-Verlag (Stuttgart), by whom his dissertation is published as a first- edition of the Missa Hyemalis by Franz Xaver Richter. As a recitalist, Dr. Diorio has performed throughout the United States and in Europe, where he was presented with a citation for an outstanding public performance by the Mayor of Innsbruck. As an organist and choir director Dr. Diorio has held positions at the Episcopal Cathedral in the Diocese of New Jersey, Washington Memorial Chapel (Valley Forge, PA) Church of the Redeemer (Bryn Mawr, PA), and currently at St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church in Lambertville, NJ.

A native of Wellington, New Zealand, Thomas Gaynor earned his undergraduate degree from the New Zealand School of Music while holding organ scholarships at the Wellington Anglican Cathedral of St. Paul and St. Mary of the Angels Roman Catholic Church. In 2012 he moved to Rochester, New York, to study with David Higgs at the Eastman School of Music. He recently graduated with a DMA and Eastman’s highest honor, the Artist's Certificate. In 2017 Thomas was presented with the Gold Medal and Audience Prize at the St. Albans International Organ Competition. This followed first prizes at the Bach-Liszt Internationaler Orgelwettbewerb Erfurt/Weimar, the Sydney International Organ Competition, and the Fort Wayne National Organ Playing Competition. Thomas is the Assistant Organist and Choirmaster at Saint Mark’s Church in Philadelphia, where he directs the Saint Mark’s Singers and works with Robert McCormick, Organist & Choirmaster, to assist in direction of the Parish Choir and the Boy & Girl Choristers, and in leading all aspects of the busy music program.