Music Ministry - Main Page

Mission Statement:
At Holy Family Cathedral, our Music Ministry is dedicated to promotion of assembly song. This is accomplished through the congregation's participation in various hymns, songs, acclamations, and psalms. Special attention is also directed toward the preservation of our rich musical heritage through the singing of anthems, both ancient and new. The combination of these elements are an expression of our assembly's sung prayer in union with the entire Catholic Church.

Dr. Steven Van Wye,
Director of Music Ministries at Holy Family Cathedral

Dr. Steven Van Wye, composer, conductor, organist and teacher, is the Director of Music and Organist at Holy Family Cathedral where he leads an active and vibrant liturgical music program with a broad spectrum of syles of sacred music. He is artistic director of the Patron of the Arts Concert Series featuring the Cathedral Choirs. As Cathedral Director of Music he is responsible for providing music for many Diocesan liturgies throughout the year. Prior to his appointment at Holy Family Cathedral, Dr. Van Wye served as Director of Music at St. Columban Catholic Church in Garden Grove , CA from 1996-2004 where he developed an outstanding liturgical music program and concert series diverse in repertoire styles and ethnicity. While at St. Columban, he directed music for Diocesan Liturgies such as Chrism Mass, Ordinations, and Adult Confirmations.

As a composer Dr. Van Wye has received recent acclaim for his Dos Arbolitos for Flute, Alto Flute and Piano which was performed at the National Flute Association in 2005 and recorded by Married Flutes. His organ music has been commissioned and performed by Thomas Harmon and Neil Stipp. He was the winner of the 2001 Sandlapper Singers Prize in Composition for his The Performance for chorus and piano on a poem by James Dickey and served as a panel member during the conference “The Poet, the Composer, the Premiere” at the University of South Carolina. He was the recipient of the Organ Prize in Composition from the First United Methodist Church of Westwood for his composition Toccata on Lasst Uns Erfreuen and was premiered by Dr. Melody Steed. Dr. Van Wye now is focusing his attention toward composing for the Cathedral Choir.

Dr. Van Wye serves on the Diocesan Music Advisory Board and the Diocesan Liturgical Commission. He is a contributing member of the Roman Catholic Cathedral Musicians Conference and a member of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians. Dr. Van Wye holds a Ph.D. in Music from UCLA.