Jonathan Ryan was appointed Director of Music and Organist in March, 2024 after serving as Acting Director of Music and Organist starting in October, 2023. Born into a musical family near Charlotte, NC, Jonathan Ryan discovered his love for music at age 8. He holds degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music and Eastman School of Music. As a conductor, he has directed and founded choirs of all ages and abilities. In 2022-2023, he served as a guest director of the Choir of Trinity Wall Street in New York City and the Dallas Symphony Chorus in Dallas, TX. As an organist, he holds the rare distinctions of six First Prize awards in major national and international organ competitions, and nomination consideration in the 2017 GRAMMY awards for his most recent solo album. His solo recital performances have taken time to prominent venues, festivals, and conventions throughout Europe and North America. An advocate for new music, he has led, conducted, and performed the premiere of numerous new works, including 11 new pieces in the 2021-2022 season. He most recently served as Director of Music at the country’s second largest Episcopal church, St. Michael and All Angels in Dallas, TX. At St. Michael, he established the chorister program for ages 4-18 based on the Royal School of Church Music, directed and grew the adult choir, founded the Compline Choir, led the first choir concerts and tour of St. Michael in the 21st-century, and oversaw the music program’s development to multiple full-time staff and some 100 singers in its choirs. In summer of 2023, he led two of St. Michael’s choirs in opening day services for the National Conference of the Associate of Anglican Musicians in Dallas for which he also served as Program Committee Chair. Prior to St. Michael, he held positions at Christ Church (Episcopal) in Greenwich, CT, St. James Cathedral (Episcopal) and St. John Cantius Church (Roman Catholic) in Chicago, IL. He currently serves as Vice President and Councilor for Competitions and New Music in the world’s largest organization of church musicians and organists, the American Guild of Organists. Jonathan is passionate about the power and depth of liturgy, education as a means of connection, and engaging people of all ages and abilities in the transformative work of making music together. He and his partner, Bruno, a Portuguese graphic artist, enjoy working out, spending time with friends, travel, all things RuPaul's Drag Race, and ensuring that their tuxedo cat, Chelsea, is thoroughly spoiled.