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Chrysostomos to Celebrate 20 Years of Music at May 4 Concert
For two decades, the student choir Chrysostomos has delighted the ears of the Thomas Aquinas College, California, community with its rich harmonies and beautiful voices. This year, the choir will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its founding with a concert on May 4.
Chrysostomos is a student-directed chamber choir known for its clean, uplifting harmonies in classical polyphony, English hymns, and spirituals. Each year, many students audition for a place in its ranks, demonstrating their skills at solo singing, tonal memory, sight reading, and group blending. “With a group this size, we really have to focus on blending,” explains Anthony Santine (’25), the choir’s current music director. “It’s important not only to have talented singers, but also to find people who can work together to produce a truly unified whole.”
The choir has always been small, with about 20 students evenly split between soprano, alto, tenor, and bass voices. “It lends itself to a very collaborative environment,” says Anthony. “We’re all students, friends, and singers, so we all can give our input and contribute to the group effort.”
Alumnus John Pakaluk (’08) founded Chrysostomos in 2004 and took up the mantle of director for his four-year career at the College. In the 20 years since, the group has performed at numerous all-night Adoration services, special dinners and events, and Masses. In 2013, it held a concert at the Libbey Bowl in Ojai, California, alongside the campus choir. Chrysostomos has also produced two albums: Triumph Over the Grave in 2013, under the direction of Thomas Quackenbush (’14), and Music Throughout the Centuries in 2019, under Isaac Cross (’19). For many years, its music has been featured on the Stations of the Cross video the College releases each Lent.
Many Chrysostomos alumni have gone on to pursue further careers and education in music. Most notably, Mr. Quackenbush and Giorgio Navarini (’17) of the internationally acclaimed Floriani found their roots in Chrysostomos, with Mr. Quackenbush serving as its music director his senior year. Other noteworthy alums include Colleen (Donnelly ’14) Bittman, who graduated from the University of British Colombia’s School of Music in 2018 and has performed in many concerts and operas in Vancouver, and past director Micaela McCall (’20), who competed on Season 22 of American Idol in 2024 and is now producing original music.
Students involved with the group find that Chrysostomos is more than just a small choir; it is a community built on learning, friendship, beauty, and love of God. “I have been given the opportunity to grow as a musician and to perform a unique act of worship in union with others,” says Michael Rivera (’26). “The choir’s emphasis on blend over volume produces high quality sound that I haven’t experienced anywhere else, and the focus on devotional pieces for Adoration has been very spiritually uplifting for me.”
Agrees his fellow choir member, Augustine Seeley (’25): “I am one of only four tenors in the group, so I had to take responsibility for learning my music myself. I have really grown in technique, in caring about the music we sing, and in my ability to work with others.”
And, of course, the choir has helped to augment the TAC experience for many of its members, giving them a deep love for the art of music, a foundational pillar of the Quadrivium. “Being a part of the choirs on campus has enriched my time here at the College,” says Sasha Lessard (’26). “It adds a creative and relaxing contrast to my time in the classroom, while also challenging me to manage my time well and stay on top of my readings.”
After 20 years of gracing the Thomas Aquinas College community with its polyphonic harmonies, Chrysostomos seeks to maintain its legacy and provide the California campus with beautiful music for many more years to come. “I am overjoyed and honored to be stepping into Anthony’s shoes next year,” says Sasha, the choir’s music director for the 2025-26 academic year. “I’ve never directed before, but I plan to draw from the example of all the excellent directors I’ve worked under, and with some practice — and a lot of patience from the choir! — I think I’ll get there.”
Chrysostomos will host a concert, “Celebrating 20 Years of Music,” on Sunday, May 4 in St. Bernardine of Seina Library at 2:00 p.m., featuring pieces by Chesnokov, Hogan, Mendelssohn, and many other composers. It will be open to students, alumni, and friends of Thomas Aquinas College, free of charge.