Saint Joseph Cathedral Music

Paul A. Thornock II, a native of Washington state, earned the Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Puget Sound where he studied organ with Edward Hansen and conducting with Paul Schultz. Mr. Thornock earned the Master of Music in Organ Performance and Literature degree at the University of Notre Dame as a student of Craig Cramer. While at Notre Dame, Paul was graduate assistant organist at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart under the direction of Gail Walton.

Mr. Thornock has been Cathedral Director of Music and Diocesan Music Consultant for Saint Joseph Cathedral in the Catholic Diocese of Columbus, Ohio since 1999. He conducts the semi-professional Cathedral Choir and the fully-professional Cathedral Schola, works as Artistic Director for the Cathedral Concerts Series, and has released two CD recordings with these groups. In addition to his Cathedral responsibilities, he has served as adjunct faculty at Capital University Conservatory of Music and Trinity Lutheran Seminary, teaching organ literature.

Mr. Thornock has performed for regional conventions of the American Guild of Organists, the 2008 National Convention of the Organ Historical Society, and has been heard as both an organist and conductor on the nationally syndicated radio programs Pipedreams and With Heart and Voice.

Mr. Thornock is pursuing the doctor of musical arts degree at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory as a student of Roberta Gary.

Robert Wisniewski is currently Principal Organist and Assistant Director of Music for St. Joseph Cathedral, Columbus, Ohio. He holds the B.A. degree in music performance from Lebanon Valley College of Pennsylvania (magna cum laude) and the Master of Music degree from Yale University's Institute of Sacred Music. He is an Associate of the American Guild of Organists (AAGO) and also a composer, with three of his works featured on the CD Thy Radiance Bright, recorded by the Cathedral Choir in Spring, 2008. Mr. Wisniewski is also noted as an improviser, and has presented workshops on improvisation and accompanying. He was most recently featured as organist with the Lancaster (OH) Festival Orchestra, and has performed on Pipedreams Live!, Pipedreams on NPR, and on WOSU-FM in Columbus. He was a featured recitalist in the Piccolo Spoleto music festival in Charleston, South Carolina, and has also concertized in Connecticut, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

Prior to assuming his present position at St. Joseph Cathedral, Mr. Wisniewski served as minister of music for St. Catharine Parish, Columbus, St. Mary Parish, Marion, Ohio and St. Bernard of Clairvaux Parish, Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was also Dean of the Columbus chapter of the American Guild of Organists from 2005 to 2007 and was actively involved with the Guild's Region V Convention held in Columbus on June 25-28, 2007.

Dorothy Riley (Organist Emerita) has been an organist at Saint Joseph Cathedral since 1990, having previously completed twenty-six years as organist at Christ Lutheran Church in Bexley, Ohio. Prior to that, she served at Westminster Presbyterian Church, High Street Church of Christ, and Trinity Lutheran Church in Akron, Ohio. Through her work at University Music House in Columbus, she serves the sacred choral, organ, and handbell music needs of musicians throughout the area. For many years her workshop and seminar presentations have assisted novice and veteran church musicians alike in fulfilling their various professional needs.

Mrs. Riley attended Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Dr. Farley K. Hutchins. Further studies included work with Marcel Dupré (St. Sulpice, Paris), Dr. Wilber Held (The Ohio Sate University and Trinity Episcopal Church), Vernon DeTar (Church of the Ascension and Juilliard School of Music, New York), and Walter Blodgett (Cleveland Art Institute). She has won local and regional competitions of the American Guild of Organists, and has served that organization as Dean of the Akron Chapter and Sub-Dean of the Central Ohio Chapter.