About Chris

Dr. Christopher Ganza began studying the organ at the age of nine with Ray Cornils, Municipal Organist of Portland, Maine. He was soon appointed organist at Corpus Christi Parish, and at the Universalist-Unitarian Church of Waterville, Maine. He received the degree of Bachelor of Music in Church Music from St. Olaf College (Northfield, MN), studying organ performance and improvisation with John Ferguson and Catherine Rodland. He was the first organ scholar at the Church of St. Louis, King of France (St. Paul, MN), under the supervision of Brian Carson. Chris received the Master of Music degree from the University of Oklahoma, studying with John Schwandt. In May of 2020, he completed the Doctor of Musical Arts Degree at the University of Oklahoma, having studied organ performance and improvisation with John Schwandt, and choral conducting with Richard Zielinski.

Chris has been awarded first prize in the Paul and Ruth Manz Scholarship Competition, the Albert Schweitzer Organ Festival National Competition, the University of Michigan Organ Improvisation Competition, and the John R. Rodland Memorial Scholarship Competition. He was a semifinalist in the National Competition in Organ Improvisation.

Currently, Chris is the Choir Director and Organist at the Cathedral of St. Paul, the National Shrine of the Apostle Paul, and the Artistic Director for the Cathedral Heritage Foundation Concert Series. Chris is also the Director of Choral Music at Saint Agnes School (St. Paul), where he conducts the choral ensembles for grades five through twelve.