With the retirement of our Music Director for twenty-six years, Tony DiCello end an era and begin anew! The search to find Tony’s replacement has stretched over many months and came to a conclusion in early June.  After reviewing fifty-one applicants, three of whom were international, we narrowed the list down to ten, each of whom was then interviewed via Zoom over a several week period during the month of April. The committee then settled on four candidates to be brought to Cincinnati for auditions on the organ and conducting the choir…all of which proved very difficult under the COVID-19 conditions!

Each of the four had exemplary credentials and experience and we could have hired any one of them as they were all individuals with exceptional qualifications and experience…as a matter of fact one of them is the new Music Director for the Cathedral in Chicago…but we got the pick of the litter!

On this weekend, it is my great pleasure to introduce to the cathedral community Mr. Matthew Geerlings as the Director of Music for the Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains and The Director of Music for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.

Matt has served as the Director of Music for the Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City, Iowa since 2000. His Bachelor of Music degree was earned from the University of Memphis and his Master of Church Music degree from the University of Kansas. In 2006 he managed the commissioning, design and installation of a new pipe organ for the Cathedral of the Epiphany built be Wech Orgelbau of Buchloe, Bavaria … this is one of the key elements in our hire of Matt as our cathedral organ must be replaced in the very near future. In 2017 his Cathedral choir was invited to sing for the final Mass of the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.  His work at the Cathedral in Sioux City included directing choirs for the multi-lingual cathedral parish, as well as serving as the diocesan choir director and organist for the major diocesan liturgies.

He comes to us well prepared to serve the people of this cathedral church and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Matt shared in a recent press release, “I’m honored to serve the faithful people of the Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.  My family and I are looking forward to making new friends in the Cincinnati region.”

Matt has now relocated to Cincinnati permanently. His lovely wife to whom he has been married for twenty-four years Cara and his two daughters will arrive at a later date. The eldest, Anna, is a student at Concordia College in Moorhead, MN and youngest, Lauren will be a High School Senior this coming academic year. Cara and Lauren will remain behind in Sioux City until the completion of her Senior year at which time they will join Matt here in Cincinnati. 

Please join me in welcoming Matt Geerlings!