For many years, cantors who received comprehensive cantorial training in Europe were known in this country as “professors.” These men led church singing, taught religion classes, directed plays, and often organized church services when clergy were scarce. Over time, other particularly influential cantors were also called by the title “professor.”
In order to better preserve and foster our chant tradition, the Metropolitan Cantor Institute (MCI) has been working with the Byzantine Catholic Seminary of SS. Cyril & Methodius in Pittsburgh to collect information about these important leaders in our church. Now we are turning to you for assistance. We are particularly interested in the following cantors:
•Peter Babey
•Joseph Barron and other
cantors in the Barron family
•Michael Demyan
•Julius Dobra
•John T. Dzurisin and
Paul Dzurisin
•Gabriel Flintosh
•Andrew Hleba
•John Horvath
•Michael Hrebin Sr.
•George Hress
•John Jaroscak
•George I. Kacan
•John Kahanick
•Nicholas Kalvin
•Basil Karol
•John Katchen
•Daniel J. Kavka
•Peter Korpos
•George Kostraba
•Joseph Kotch
•John Lessler
•Stephen Levkulich
•John Maceyko
•John Mitchell
•John Molnar
•Andrew M. Morros
(or Morris)
•I. J. Palazey
•George Parvenski
•Andrew J. Parvensky Sr.
•George, John, Michael
and Stephen Pauley
•John Petach
•Andrew Petrin
•Michael Petzko
•Theodore, Joachim, and
Anthony Ratzin
•George Sabol
•Basil Sarady
•John Alexander Saxun
•Emil Simodejka
•Michael Stinich
•Alex and George Suchan
•”Prof. Suhunyak” (Pleasant
City, Ohio)
•Michael Vuksta
•John Wischak
•Paul Yatsko
•Michael G. Zaretsky
•Peter Zelezniak
The MCI can provide some basic information about each, usually from published obituaries.We are looking for information about where and when each of these individuals learned church music; where they served as cantors; documents, photographs or recordings, if any exist; and, most importantly, personal remembrances of their work as cantors. In the case of cantors who also composed or arranged church music, we would like to assemble either a complete or representative sample of their work.
The collected information will be used to document the history of our church singing, foster our plain chant and choral singing and honor our cantor forebears. It will also be shared with the parishes where these cantors served. If you can contribute to this project in any way, please contact Deacon Jeffrey Mierzejewski at plainchanter@ gmail.com or by calling 412-735-1676. Watch the MCI Web site at mci.archpitt.org and Byzantine Catholic Seminary Web site at bcs.edu for updates.
