The Choir of St. Ignatius Loyola

Douglas Purcell has been critically acclaimed for the “strength, beauty and effortless top” of his lyric tenor. In recent seasons of Sacred Music in a Sacred Space, he has been soloist in Haydn Dixit Dominus, Handel Harmoniemesse, Rachmaninoff’s All-Night Vigil, and the special St. Ignatius Jesuits in America: Zipoli and his World concert. Mr. Purcell has performed with The Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, and New York City Ballet. In frequent appearances with MasterVoices (née Collegiate Chorale), he has been a soloist in Purcell’s Dido and Æneas, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Beethoven’s Fidelio and Choral Fantasy at the Verbier Festival in Switzerland, as well as Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms in New York. Other solo appearances include American Symphony Orchestra, American Composers Orchestra, Mark Morris Dance Group, and Westchester Symphony. He is featured on the Helicon Classics recording with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and Zubin Mehta of Bach’s Cantata 140. 

Wendy Baker, soprano, has a Masters in Music Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music and she obtained a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Clayton State College. She has been heard as a soloist in works including Handel Messiah and Dixit Dominus, Saint-Saëns Oratorio de Noël, Poulenc Gloria, Vivaldi Gloria, Faure Requiem, Brahms Requiem, Haydn Stabat Mater, Theresienmesse and Harmoniemesse, Mozart Requiem, Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music and Dona Nobis Pacem and Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle. She has sung the roles of Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), Mother (Amahl and the Night Visitors), Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi), Giuletta (I Capuleti e i Montecchi), Gilda (Rigoletto), Madame Heartthrob (The Impresario), Countess (Le Nozze di Figaro), and the title roles in Suor Angelica and Lucia di Lammermoor.

The recipient of numerous awards, Wendy was a Jensen Foundation National Finalist, Oratorio Society of New York Semi-Finalist, Gerda Lissner National Finalist and Grant Winner, and a Prize Winner in the Met District and Regional competitions.

She has had the privilege of traveling to Israel and the Salzburg Music Festival where she sang as the soprano soloist in the Bloch Sacred Service under the baton of Zubin Mehta. She is honored to be a member of the Saint Ignatius Loyola Choir. www.wendybakersoprano.com

Danya Katok, soprano, originally from State College, PA, is an exceptionally versatile vocalist whose repertoire ranges from the pure straight tone of plainchant to the exciting belt of musical theater. Performances of note include Max in Where the Wild Things Are with New York City Opera (for which she was praised by The New York Times as being “superb”), featured vocalist in “An Evening of Cole Porter” with The Boston Pops, soprano soloist in Haydn’s The Creation with Sacred Music in a Sacred Space, vocal soloist with Mark Morris Dance Group at Jacob’s Pillow, and soprano soloist in Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 with Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra and New York Symphonic Arts Ensemble. Danya received her DMA in Voice Performance from CUNY Graduate Center in 2016 and is currently on the music faculty at Hunter College. http://danyakatok.com.

Soprano Sarah Abigail Griffiths has been hailed for her “glowing tone, effortless facility and vivid expressivity” (Dallas Morning News), and has appeared as soloist and chorister with professional ensembles throughout the United States. She can be heard on recordings with Armonia Celeste (Centaur) and New York Virtuoso Singers (Naxos), and she is featured singing Alice Parker’s song cycle Dickinson: On Recollecting in a 2017 recording for Gothic. She has performed U.S. premieres by Bob Chilcott and Thea Musgrave and world premieres by Katherine Hoover, Edward Smaldone, and Martha Sullivan. She holds degrees from the University of North Texas, Westminster Choir College, and Earlham College, and is an adjunct professor at Ramapo College and William Paterson University.

Soprano Elisa Singer Strom enjoys a versatile career, ranging from opera to contemporary, early, and sacred music. Recent solo performances include Mendelssohn’s Elijah with the Fairfield County Chorale, and Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle as well as Brahms Requiem with the choir of St. Ignatius Loyola. An active collaborative artist, Ms. Singer Strom regularly performs choral music throughout the New York area with groups such as Musica Sacra, New York Choral Artists, Voices of Ascension, choir of St. John the Divine, Park Avenue Synagogue, and more. Elisa earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, and her master’s from the Cleveland Institute of Music.

Kate Maroney is a passionate believer in the deeply transformative, fully humanizing power of music and in its ability to foster empathy in the community of performers and listeners alike. She particularly values collaborations with kind and generous colleagues who share this conviction. Recognized for “vibrant and colorful” singing (The New York Times) Kate’s recent soloist appearances include with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, Gare St. Lazare Ireland, Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, New York City Ballet, Santa Fe Desert Chorale and Symphony, Seraphic Fire, Berkshire Choral Festival, TENET, Carmel Bach Festival, Opera Grand Rapids, New York Baroque Incorporated at Trinity Wall Street, LA Opera, Lincoln Center Festival, Oregon Bach Festival, Musica Sacra, Bach Collegium San Diego, Princeton Pro Musica, Bach Vespers Holy Trinity, Mark Morris Dance Group, Yale Choral Artists, American Opera Projects, Berkshire Bach Society, and Clarion. In addition to noted interpretations of concert and oratorio repertoire from Bach to Mendelssohn, Kate is sought after by composers and has premiered works and collaborated closely with Philip Glass, John Corigliano, David Lang, Martin Bresnick, Julia Wolfe, Missy Mazzoli, Hannah Lash, Nina Young, Dominick Argento, Christopher Cerrone, Daron Hagen, Matthew Welch, Paola Prestini, Ted Hearne, Lisa Bielawa, and Scott Wheeler. Kate toured the world for several years singing Einstein on the Beach and learning how to count numbers really fast. She holds a D.M.A. from Eastman, degrees from SUNY Purchase and Yale, teaches voice pedagogy at Mannes (The New School), and resides in Brooklyn with musician-husband Red Wierenga, son Ossian, and two adorable felines names Misha and Ayler. For schedule and more info: http://www.katemaroney.com

Hailed as “a true contralto, with a big, deep, resonant projection that can fill a hall,” (New London Day) Heather Petrie is a familiar voice at St Ignatius Loyola.  She was the 2019 second prize winner in the Lyndon Woodside Oratorio Competition and will make her Carnegie Hall debut this December as the Alto soloist in Handel’s Messiah with the Oratorio Society of New York.  She has appeared with Voices of Ascension, the American Symphony Orchestra, the NY Philharmonic, and Musica Sacra. In addition to numerous roles, she has been a member of the opera chorus at Bard Summerscape, the Princeton Festival, New York City Opera, and the Metropolitan Opera Extra Chorus.  Heather is a founding member of the critically acclaimed, eight-voice treble group Etherea Vocal Ensemble, and is prominently featured on both of their recordings, released by Delos.  Recently, she and other members of the St Ignatius Choir formed an early music quartet called Caladrius, and gave their first concert this summer. She holds degrees from Bard College and SUNY Purchase Conservatory.  More information can be found at www.heatherpetriecontralto.com   

Liz Picker, Mezzo/Contralto, is a seasoned operatic and choral performer appearing regularly throughout the U.S. as a soloist and ensemble singer. A graduate of Yale University where she was a member of Schola Cantorum under the baton of Simon Carrington of the King’s Singer’s, Liz has sung in opera and concert series with New York City Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Musica Sacra, The New York Philharmonic, Bach Vespers at Holy Trinity, Berkshire Bach society, The New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players, Bard Summerscape and Music Festival, among many others. Liz frequently joins other esteemed New York church choirs, including those at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, St. Bartholomew’s Church, and Temple Emmanuel. She can be heard on numerous studio recordings and in TV and film productions, most recently in City on a Hill with Kevin Bacon, PBS’s Now Hear This, and The Tefila Project with Israeli singer-songwriter David Broza.

Kameron began his musical studies at the age of 5 in the sleepy seaside town of Ocean City, NJ and quickly found his passion through music.  After years of intense study and dedication, Kameron has made it a mission of his to utilize his musical tools as a vehicle for his artistry and to find ways to be more innovative and creative in our ever-changing world.

Kameron is currently a professional member of the touring ensemble, Choral Chameleon, and volunteers on the side as a Marketing Associate to help implement various Marketing and Business strategies to better the choir and help bring innovative concerts to the musical community.

He is also a returning member and singer with the professional ensemble Mastersingers of Wilmington and can be heard around the New York City area with groups like the St. Ignatius Choir and Empire City Mens Chorus.

When not performing on stage, Kameron remains active as a private voice instructor to students of all ages. His teaching philosophy is based in invoking critical thinking skills to allow students to explore and broaden their musical horizons.

In the 2019-2020 season, Kameron was selected to perform as a young artist with Opera Southwest and understudied the leading role in the recently unearthed operatic comedy “Alí Baba”.

He looks forward to performing as Agenore in “Il re Pastore” with Little Opera Theater of New York and as Guiseppe in “La Traviata” with City Lyric Opera, both in New York City.

Mr. Ghanavati’s notable roles include Ruggiero in “La Liberazione di Ruggiero” (Opera Ithaca), Nerone in “L’incoronazione di Poppea” (Eastman Opera Theater), William-King Noel in the world premiere of “The Infinite Energy of Ada Lovelace” (Opera Ithaca), Belmonte in “Die Entführung aus dem serail” (UD Opera Theater), Laurie in and Mark Adamo’s “Little Women” (UD Opera Theater).

Kameron is a recent graduate of the Eastman School of Music (2018) where he studied under Robert Swensen and is also a graduate from the University of Delaware (2016) under the tutelage of Dr. Blake Smith. While at the University of Delaware, Kameron was the co-recipient of the prestigious F. Warren James Memorial Award, which is awarded to outstanding voice majors who posses and demonstrate high artistry.

Matt Robbins’s route to choral singing is circuitous. After coming to New York to study and perform as a jazz pianist, Matt found a niche in working as a piano/vocalist in several bands, touring and appearing in clubs and on festival stages throughout the northeast. Simultaneously, he pursued private vocal studies, and found a welcoming home in choral music, where he has been a sought-after ensemble singer, working with the New York based new music ensemble Choral Chameleon, and the Empire City Men’s Chorus, among others. Matt holds a Masters of Music in Jazz Piano performance from the Manhattan School of Music.

Robert Reuter has served as the Associate Director of Music at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola in New York City since 2012 and works closely with director K. Scott Warren in shaping the church’s vibrant liturgical music program and concert series, Concerts at St. Ignatius.

 Since joining the music staff in 2007, Robert has had the pleasure of working with all of the church’s professional and volunteer ensembles.  He currently directs the 50-member Parish Community Choir, which can be heard at many major liturgies, as well as the popular Christmas and spring concerts.  Past performances include Vivaldi Gloria, Bach Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, Poulenc Gloria, and Bassi Carol Symphony.

 Robert is a member of, and occasionally conducts, the professional Choir of St. Ignatius Loyola, which offers repertoire at liturgies and concerts ranging from Gregorian chant to the latest choral masterpieces. Past conducting performances with this ensemble include Palestrina Missa Sine Nomine a 6, Poulenc Messe en sol majeur, and Brahms Ein deutsches Requiem.

 When not contributing to the musical aspects of the Concerts at St. Ignatius series, Robert enjoys being the behind-the-scenes “go-to-guy” in his position as Technical & Logistics Coordinator.  Responsibilities include crafting detailed schematics for each concert, running the lighting and sound systems, and helping to ensure an overall smooth concert experience for the musicians and audience members alike.

Tenor James Archie Worley has been a member of the professional choir at St. Ignatius Loyola since 1999. He has appeared as a soloist with the American Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the American Composers Orchestra, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s in the Fields, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the Little Orchestra Society, the Santa Fe Symphony, the Chattanooga Symphony, the Midland Symphony Orchestra, and the Brooklyn Philharmonic. He has also appeared as a soloist with numerous choral groups in New York City and across the country. He has been engaged as a cover artist by the Metropolitan Opera, and has sung roles at the Portland Opera Repertory Theatre, the Bard Music Festival, Mississippi Opera, the Pocket Opera Players, the New York City Opera VOX Festival, and with the Opera Orchestra of New York. Mr. Worley holds a Bachelor of Music Degree from the University of Georgia, a Master of Arts Degree from Hunter College of the City University of New York, and is an alumnus of the Manhattan School of Music. He is a DMA candidate in vocal performance at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

Bruce Rameker performs as both a baritone and a countertenor and has appeared as a soloist on the stages of Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Town Hall, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and the Spoleto Festival in a diverse repertoire that spans from ancient music with the Waverly Consort to tangos of Piazzola. He has sung with Chicago Opera Theater, Skylight Opera Theatre, New York City Opera, and Anchorage Opera. Recordings include Just Another Hour with the Trillium Ensemble featuring the music of Richard Pearson Thomas and One Body which was written for him by John Kennedy to feature both vocal ranges. Born in Wisconsin, he is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Praised for his warm lyric tone, musical subtlety, and dedication to text, “Sonorous” (Opera News) and “Suave” (parterre box) baritone Harrison Hintzsche enjoys a diverse career in oratorio, art song, and ensemble singing. His interpretation of Schubert lieder at London’s Wigmore Hall with pianist Graham Johnson in 2018 was noted by Opera Today for displaying a “strong sense of narrative” and “gentle poignancy.” He is the first-place winner of the 2020 Colorado Bach Ensemble Young Artist Competition, as well as the first-place winner of the Edvard Grieg Society of Minnesota’s 2018 Voice Competition. He was the first-ever recipient of the William H. Halverson Award, presented by the Edvard Grieg Society of America for an outstanding performance of Grieg’s music.

Hintzsche can be heard singing the bass arias and the role of Pilatus on Cantata Collective’s live performance recording of Bach’s St. John Passion, led by conductor Nicholas McGegan and released by AVIE Records in June 2023. He was praised by the BBC’s Record Review podcast for bringing “a lightness and relaxed lyricism” to the performance of the aria “Mein teurer Heiland, lass mich fragen” with cellist William Skeen. His interpretations of various Lieder by composer Luise Greger can be heard on New Muses Project’s inaugural self-titled album, which was released in 2022.

A sought-after ensemble musician, Hintzsche has performed with a variety of vocal ensembles such as the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, the Leonids, the Oregon Bach Festival Chorus, Ensemble Altera, the Evergreen Ensemble, True Concord Voices & Orchestra, Yale Choral Artists, Bach Akademie Charlotte, Handel & Haydn Society, The VocalEssence Ensemble Singers, the Internationale Bachakademie Stuttgart JSB Ensemble, and Bach Ensemble Helmuth Rilling, among others.

Hintzsche received a Master of Music degree in Early Music Voice from the Yale School of Music, as well as a certificate from the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, in 2020. There, he studied voice with tenor James Taylor and sang with the Yale Schola Cantorum and conductors David Hill and Masaaki Suzuki, and was awarded the Margot Fassler Prize in the Performance of Sacred Music. In 2016, he earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from St. Olaf College, where he toured with the St. Olaf Choir and studied voice with Dr. Robert C. Smith. Other educational credits include the Tafelmusik Summer Baroque Institute, Source Song Festival, the Bach Akademie Charlotte Vocal Fellows program, and SongFest in Los Angeles. 

He is a native of DeKalb, Illinois.

Puerto-Rican born baritone, violinist, and violist José Pietri-Coimbre has appeared as a soloist and ensemble performer in all instruments. He has presented solo art song recitals in the United States and Europe and has appeared as soloist with the S.E.M. Ensemble, Early Music New York, Music at Fifth Avenue Presbyterian, and Master Voices with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, among others. In addition to opera credits, he was a member of the Puerto Rico Opera Chorus and was a frequent oratorio soloist in the Island. Mr. Pietri-Coimbre also sings regularly with Musica Sacra and Bard Festival Singers, among others. He also keeps a busy schedule as a freelance violinist and violist in the New York Metro area, and additionally as a passionate educator and visual artist.