Choir

“Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises unto Our King, sing praises.” Psalm 47:6

St. Nicholas Patriarchal Choir of Philadelphia
Susan C. Guz, Choir Director

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In the Orthodox faith, the Choir sings the prayers of the congregation as one voice and one heart. The Choir is essential in Orthodox worship as the liturgical services are a spiritual dialog between the Priest and Choir. Sacred singing is not something added to prayer. Rather, it is the way Orthodox faithful pray in church.

The members of the Saint Nicholas Patriarchal Choir are professional and experienced performers. They sing, in beautiful four-part harmony, the familiar and inspiring antiphons, troparions and kontakions that have resounded in our Sanctuary since the founding of our Church in 1917.

Leading the St. Nicholas Patriarchal Choir is Susan Guz. With her musical credentials and experience, and her devotion to St. Nicholas Church for more than 50 years, Ms. Guz was a natural when she stepped into the role of Choir Director in December 2019. Her family has been active members of St. Nicholas Church since 1964. Her father, John, sung bass in the Choir for decades.

Ms. Guz graduated from Rowan University in New Jersey in 1976 with a B.A. degree in Music Performance. Following graduation, she attended and performed at the Franz Liszt Music Academy in Budapest, Hungary; the Mozarteum University in Salzburg, Austria; and the Academie Internationale D’ete de Nice, France. Ms. Guz also taught piano privately and was a popular piano accompanist. On one of her extended visits to Ukraine, Ms. Guz was tutored in liturgical chant at the Volyn Orthodox Theological Academy in Lutsk, Ukraine.

Ms. Guz is also currently Vice-President of the Church Council and publisher of the weekly Church Bulletin.

Ms. Guz has traveled to Ukraine many times to meet with His Holiness Patriarch Philaret. In 2017, His Holiness presented Ms. Guz with the Medal of the Holy Great Martyr Barbara. This recognition is awarded to women for extraordinary service and philanthropy to the church. The following year, in 2018, Ms. Guz received an Honorary Diploma in Philosophy, as well as the highest award given to a benefactor by the Volyn Orthodox Theological Academy in Lutsk, Ukraine: the “Ktytor of the Academy.”