Savannah Philharmonic Welcomes new Chorus Master Paul Thornock

SAVANNAH, Ga. - EntSun -- (SAVANNAH, Ga) The Savannah Philharmonic (SavPhil) and its Chorus have welcomed a new chorus master, Paul Thornock. In his new role, he will work with Music and Artistic Director Keitaro Harada to prepare the SavPhil Chorus for performances.

"Choral performances are a major part of the SavPhil's calendar, and we look forward to adding Dr. Thornock's talents to the artistic team," said Executive Director Amy Williams.

Thornock is well-known in Savannah's sacred music community. He is the organist and director of music at the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist, where he conducts the semi-professional Cathedral Choir, the fully professional Choral Scholars, and acts as artistic director for the Friends of Cathedral Music concert series.

Before arriving in Savannah, Thornock was the director of music and the diocesan music consultant for Saint Joseph Cathedral in the Catholic Diocese of Columbus, Ohio for 16 years. He released two choral CD recordings and was responsible for commissioning the Cathedral's Paul Fritts and Co. organ. Additionally, he served on the faculty at Capital University Conservatory of Music and Trinity Lutheran Seminary, where he taught organ literature. More recently, he was director of music at St. James Cathedral in Seattle and taught organ at the University of Puget Sound.

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Thornock has performed at regional conventions of the American Guild of Organists, the Conference of Roman Catholic Cathedral Musicians, the national convention of the Organ Historical Society, and the American Institute of Organ Builders. He has been heard as both an organist and conductor on the nationally syndicated radio programs Pipedreams and With Heart and Voice.

He did his undergraduate work at the University of Puget Sound, where he studied organ with Edward Hansen and conducting with Paul Schultz. He earned a master's degree in organ performance and literature from the University of Notre Dame as a student of Craig Cramer. While at Notre Dame, he was a graduate assistant organist at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart under Gail Walton. Thornock completed his doctor of musical arts degree at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music as a student of Roberta Gary.

He is also active as an organ consultant, responsible for more than 30 projects, including the restoring and commissioning of new organs. In 2012, he was awarded a grant from the Tangeman Sacred Music Center to record four organs by Paul Fritts and Co., chronicling the firm's evolution over four decades. Recent projects include two organs by Paul Fritts & Co. for Hillsdale College in Michigan, three instruments by Juget-Sinclair for the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Richmond, Virginia, and the restoration and renovation of the Noack organ at the Savannah Cathedral.

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