Dr. Liya Petrides, D. M. A. has been with the parish since 2016. She is a New-York based organist, pianist, choir director, composer and soprano, originally from St. Petersburg, Russia. As a solo organist, she has appeared at many prestigious concert series and venues, including Alice Tully Hall, St. Thomas Church Fifth Avenue and St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC and Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago. Most recently, Dr. Petrides played several organ recitals in France and Italy, most notably at the Fifth International Organ Festival at the Pantheon in Rome (Basilica of St. Mary of the Martyrs) which took place on September 5. As an orchestral organist and pianist, she regularly performs at venues like Carnegie and Avery Fisher Halls, Riverside church, and others. She holds a doctorate in organ performance from Juilliard, where she was a student of Gerre Hancock. Prior to that, she obtained a master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music, where she studied with McNeil Robinson. Dr. Petrides is the Director of Music Ministries at St. Catherine of Siena and St. Agnes Parish in Greenwich CT, where she directs and accompanies the Traditional and Teen choirs on the four-manual Moller organ and piano. In her present role, Dr. Petrides has continued and expanded the pre-existing concert series at St. Catherine’s, where she often performs as organist, pianist, soprano, and conductor, having recently conducted Bach’s Magnificat, where she was also the soprano soloist, and hosts musicians from all over the world. The music program at the parish promotes composition of new sacred works for choir and organ through the Composer-in-Residence position Dr. Petrides established in 2018. Dr. Petrides resides in the Bronx with her husband guitarist and composer Dr. Ron Petrides, Ph. D and their two teenage children. Together, Drs. Ron and Liya Petrides are Senior Lecturers at Mercy University where they teach Music Appreciation classes.
