The Living Composer Concert Series-October 22nd at 7pm: Divine Mercy Parish – St. Mary Church Massillon
The 3rd Annual Living Composer Series is a Northwest High School Choirs Tradition that connects communities and schools through choral music. The music will be from some of the best active composers in the world performed by 6 of the Northwest High School choirs. Some featured composers are Eric Whitacre, Jake Runestad, Jacob Narverud, Ben Bram, Ola Gjeillo, Erik Esenvalds, Adam Podd, and more. This concert will feature the University of Mount Union Concert Choir under the direction of Professor Beth Polen and end with a mass choir performance of Erik Esenvalds Stars.
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November 2: All Souls Day
A general reminder that despite All Souls Day landing on a Sunday (November 2), there is no Gloria that should be used. Thank you!
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St. Robert Benefit Concert: Saturday November 8th at 7:15pm at St. Robert Bellarmine Parish in Cortland
Please join the St. Robert Music Ministry in a contemporary music concert that will feature the talents of the parish choir, following the 6pm Mass. The proceeds from this concert benefit the food pantry in Grahn, KY. Free will offerings and non-perishable food items are greatly appreciated. Please reach out to Jaden Karr at jkarr@strobertcortland.org for more info or to donate.
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Theron Brown Trio: Sunday November 23rd at 6:30pm at St. Blaise Parish – St. Joseph Church in Austintown
Theron Brown is an internationally known Jazz pianist who has amazed audiences at places like the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. We are thrilled to welcome him and his trio to the St. Blaise Parish Concert Series at our St. Joseph campus in Austintown. Theron has also dabbled in acting, playing a young Herbie Hancock in the 2015 feature film, “Miles Ahead,” directed by Don Cheadle, who also played Miles Davis in the film. Theron is currently employed as the Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Akron.
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Advent Improvisation Concert by Carlo Massimo: Friday December 5th at 6:30pm at the Cathedral of St. Columba
Come hear the U.S. debut performance by Carlo Massimo. Carlo will be giving an all improvisation concert on Advent familiar themes; this concert is not to be missed. Please read his biography:
Carlo began playing both piano and organ at the young age of two years old. After being self taught for six years, he enrolled at the prestigious “St Mary’s Music School” in Edinburgh, Scotland, where he stayed for nine years, studying the organ with Duncan Ferguson, the master of music at St Mary’s Cathedral, and the piano with both John Bryden and Richard Beauchamp.
At the same time, Carlo became a chorister in St Mary’s Cathedral Choir, during which time he sang concerts both solo and with the choir around Europe in countries such as France, Italy, Austria and the Czech Republic. During this period, Carlo also gave concerts around Scotland as a pianist, accompanist and organist, notably in a critically acclaimed concert in the Usher Hall (Edinburgh, Scotland) at the age of 16.
In 2023 Carlo moved to Paris and began studying organ with Eric Lebrun and David Cassan at the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Saint-Maur, and also with Maestro Jean-Paul Imbert at the Schola Cantorum, where he received his Diplome de Concert with the highest possible mention of très bien avec felicitations à l’unanimité.
While in Paris, Carlo has already played for services and concerts in churches such as La Madeleine, Saint-Jacques du Haut-Pas (where he accompanied the choir of the École Polytechnique), La Trinité and the basilica of Sainte-Clotilde, where he is at this moment the youngest organist ever to accompany mass.
In the summer of 2025, Carlo was a finalist for the Tournamire Prize in the world renowned St. Albans Organ Competition and from September, Carlo is continuing his studies at the HEMU in Lausanne with Benjemin Righetti.
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2026 Organ Concert Series: The Cathedral of St. Columba
Save-the-Date for next year’s series:
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If your parish is having any upcoming musical events you’d like to send out to other musicians in the diocese and also have published on the diocesan website, please email Ralph Holtzhauser, Diocesan Music Director, at rholtzhauser@youngstowndiocese.org! Don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions musically. I’ll do my best to help.
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