Music Ministry
The music ministry at St. Matthew’s Cathedral has a grand tradition of excellence and vibrancy, providing the people of our community with joyful and prayerful experiences––both liturgical and in the concert setting.
The mission of the Cathedral’s musicians is to enrich our services through praise, worship and devotion in song. It is the means through which the soul and spirit reach out to God in worship and praise with a song in spirit and in truth. The Music Ministry assists the worshippers in centering their thoughts upon God.
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The Cathedral Choristers have returned to making beautiful music in worship! We currently have 12 members but would love to welcome more! Anyone who loves to sing and is interested should contact Erin Paiva for details. We rehearse each Wednesday evening from 6:00-7:30pm, and we will sing in Sunday services twice per month, with additional services planned throughout the year for holidays, evensong, and more.
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O'Neil Jones
Choir Director
Contact: oneilcojones@gmail.com
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The Utterback Committee is excited to introduce O’Neil Jones as our new choir director. He comes to us with outstanding credentials in choral directing, which include two different Episcopal churches in Mississippi and a Lutheran church in Colorado. He is very familiar with the liturgy and sacraments of the Episcopal church.
O’Neil will be joining UW’s Department of Music serving as Associate Director of Choral Activities. In addition, he is completing a Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting and Literature at CU Boulder. He currently holds a Master of Music with emphasis in choral conducting and vocal performances and pedagogy from the University of Southern Mississippi.
While in Colorado he has spearheaded projects to hire choral scholars to bolster the music program at Westview church, and describes his style of conducting as “community building”. He says “music is an integral part of the worship experience, and I am committed to excellence in music making”…and he “is ready to take on the task for the enrichment of worship.”

We look forward to formally welcoming O’Neil at the September 10th service.
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Valentina Gavrilova
Organist
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Valentina Gavrilova came to St. Matthew’s Cathedral in 2002 as the choir accompanist. As she continued her music ministry among us, her extraordinary organ skills became evident, so that in time she was appointed to the position of Cathedral Organist. Valentina is also known for her beautiful touch as a pianist.
Prior to Valentia’s current appointment at St. Matthew’s Cathedral, she also served as an organist at First United Methodist Church and Trinity Lutheran Church in Laramie. She loves choral music, and for a time, she also worked as the choral accompanist at Laramie High School from 2007 to 2012. During that period, Valentina’s choirs participated in various competitions across the United States, including a performance at Carnegie Hall in 2010. In December of 2020, Valentina returned to the St. Matthew’s Cathedral family, where she is cherished and beloved.
Valentina is an organist and pianist of amazing artistry. She has extraordinary feel for the ministry of supporting Episcopal services, and she is unsurpassed at engaging the hearts, minds, and souls of all who worship with us. Valentina also notes that she feels privileged to play music every Sunday on one of the finest Skinner pipe organs in the country.