Christopher Ganza

Christopher Ganza began studying the organ at the age of nine with Ray Cornils, Municipal Organist of Portland, Maine. He was soon appointed organist at Corpus Christi Parish, and at the Universalist-Unitarian Church of Waterville, Maine. He received the degree of Bachelor of Music in Church Music from St. Olaf College, studying organ performance and improvisation with John Ferguson and Catherine Rodland. He was the first organ scholar at the Church of St. Louis, King of France, under the supervision of Brian Carson. Christopher received the Master of Music degree from the University of Oklahoma, studying with John Schwandt.

He is a candidate for the Doctor of Musical Arts Degree at the University of Oklahoma, having studied organ performance and improvisation with John Schwandt, and choral conducting with Richard Zielinski. Christopher has been awarded first prize in the Paul and Ruth Manz Scholarship Competition, the Albert Schweitzer Organ Festival National Competition, and the John R. Rodland Memorial Scholarship Competition. He was a semifinalist in the National Competition in Organ Improvisation, and the second-place winner of the University of Michigan Organ Improvisation Competition.

Currently, Christopher is the Organist & Choirmaster at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Minneapolis, where he directs the Parish Choir, Vespers Choir, and Cantors, and is organist for the parish’s sung liturgies. He is also on the fine arts faculty at Chesterton Academy, where he assists in the direction of the school’s four choral ensembles.