Stefano Vasselli, Organist and Director of Music

Born in Rome in 1969, Vasselli completed his musical studies at the “S. Cecilia” Conservatory in Rome graduating in four main disciplines: Composition, Organ, Piano and Choral Conducting. He then attended classes in Gregorian Chant at the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music as well as advanced Master Classes with distinguished organists including Daniel Roth, Marie-Claire Alain, Michael Radulescu, Martin Sander, Victor Urban. He also studied privately in Paris with Suzanne Chaisemartin, specializing in the French Romantic repertoire.

In Rome he has won first prize at the T.I.M. competition (International Music Competition), and performed for the most prestigious musical organizations (the Academy of St. Cecilia, the Roman Philharmonic Academy, the Gonfalone, the Pontifical Institute for Sacred Music, the St. Cecilia Conservatory, and the Comune di Roma. For the Organ Academy of Lazio he performed the entire organ symphonies by Charles-Marie Widor and organ pieces by César Franck.

He has also performed widely in Europe, the US, Mexico, Israel, Argentina and Saudi Arabia. For several years he has divided his time between Italy and Denmark where he resides with his family. He has therefore played in several Danish cities and in particular has worked with the city of Odense’s symphonic orchestra as both organ and harpsichord player. In this capacity he has participated in numerous productions (G. F. Handel’s Messiah, J. S. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, the Requiems by Mozart and Brahms among others), performing alongside noted soloists including Dimitri Sitkovesky and Michala Petri and with conductors such as Christof Eschenbach, Alexander Vedernikov, Stephen Layton, Nicholas Cleobury, and Fabrice Bollon.

A versatile and inquisitive musician, Vasselli is a solo concert performer and also conducts several choirs, including “The New Chamber Singers” and “ResAltera.” As a composer he has written pieces in a variety of styles (choral, chamber, organ, film, arrangements, liturgical and children’s music), even translating and adapting texts for Italian versions of cartoon series (Masha and the Bear, Miss Spider, Bali, Dinosaur Train, Popeye, Digimon, Hey Arnold and many others).

He is enthusiastically committed to the Music Ministry at St. Paul’s: right from the start he has sought to consolidate the liturgical choir, involving its members in concert productions. Under his guidance the church’s reputation as a place open to music has grown: it is now sought out by artists and and musical organizations, not only from Italy but also from around the world. The “Luminaria” concert series has now reached its 21st year, offering classical concerts with programs spanning the chamber and choral repertoire, organ recitals and even symphonic music, all within the beautiful and haunting setting of the church illuminated by candlelight.