Dr. Sándor Szabó is actively engaged as a conductor, organist, pianist and harpsichordist throughout Europe, Asia, Canada and the United States. Dr. Szabó was educated in Yugoslavia, graduating from the University of Novi Sad with the diploma "Academic Musician in the Piano Art." Subsequently, he received his Master's degree from the University of Music Arts, Belgrade. While studying in Yugoslavia, he was a prize winner in both the Belgrade and Zagreb Young Pianists National Competitions. Dr. Szabó has studied with many distinguished musicians including conducting with Stanko Sepic, Ann Howard Jones and Joseph Flummerfelt; piano with Bordás Lajos, Nevena Popovic, Anthony di Bonaventura and Tong Il Han; organ with Max Miller, Eugene Roan and McNeil Robinson; and harpsichord with Mark Kroll. Dr. Szabó holds Master's degrees in organ performance and sacred music from Westminster Choir College, New Jersey, where he was awarded the full-tuition Currin scholarship. In addition, he has earned a Doctorate in piano performance at Boston University. He also holds the Fellowship Certificate (FAGO) from the American Guild of Organists and is a member of Phi Beta Delta, an honor society for international scholars, as well as Pi Kappa Lambda, a national music honor society. Dr. Szabó has held positions in prominent churches as a music director and organist  including Marsh Chapel at Boston University MA, Music Director of the Oratorio Society of New Jersey and Organist and Choir Director at Temple B’nai Abraham, Livingston NJ, Central Presbyterian Church, Summit NJ, The Reformed Church of Bronxville  NY, Christ’s Church Rye, NY and the first Congregational Church UCC of Stockbridge, MA where he has most recently held the title Director of Music, Organist and Choirmaster. Dr Szabo, his wife Shelly and their three children recently relocated to Yonkers, NY where they currently reside.  This weekend we proudly welcome Dr. Szabo and he joins us as our new Director of Music, principal organist and choirmaster here at Sacred Heart and Our Lady of Pompeii Parish in Dobbs Ferry NY.

Dr. Claudia Calì is a professional musician, organist, piano teacher and researcher. A native of Italy, Dr. Calì holds a Degree in Piano Performance, and two Master’s Degrees from the University of Perugia and the Catholic University of Milan. She earned a Doctorate in Music and Music Education from Teachers College at Columbia University, where she currently works as the project manager of the professional development program for teaching artists, the Teaching Artists Community Certificate Program ([email protected]). She also serves as Adjunct Professor of Music Education at Queens College, Long Island University, New York University and she has been on the faculty of the Juilliard School, the University of New Haven and Teachers College. Along with an intense performing schedule, she devotes her time and energies to teaching young children and researching their spontaneous musicality. She was a consultant for the New York Philharmonic and their concert series, Very Young People Concerts and she has published in a variety of international academic journals, such as International Journal of Community Music, Qualitative Research in Music Education and Research Studies in Music Education. Her research also brings attention to families and to the influences that music has on parent-child relationships. Such interest is rooted in her long experience teaching piano to young children and their parents both in Italy and in the United States. Recently she created and currently teaches an original music curriculum, “Musicali si Nasce,” for young children of Italian families in New York. “Musicali si Nasce” is inspired by her observations of young children’s spontaneous music-making and aims to cultivate in young children and their families a love for the Italian language through music.