Northwest Orthodox Choir Director’s Conference
A PAN-ORTHODOX EVENT
AUGUST 27TH-29TH
SPOKANE, WASHINGTON
Calling Orthodox choir directors in Northwest America…
St. Luke Orthodox Church invites you to join us for a pan-Orthodox conference on musical leadership within the church!
This conference is for Orthodox Church choir directors, assistant and substitute directors, and others reading or singing who have been blessed by their priest to pursue further training in musical leadership.
Conference sessions will include:
- Liturgical Directing 101
- Intro to Byzantine Chant
- Elements of Liturgical chanting
- Effective Leadership
- Musicality in a Liturgical Context
- Conflict Management and Problem Points
… and more! The conference will include breakout sessions for discussion, presentations, and hands-on, guided practice of concepts learned.
Who should attend?
Orthodox churches of the Northwest are encouraged to send their choir director and substitute/assistant directors (or someone in their choir with potential to grow into that role). We’d love to see two or three musicians from each participating parish!
We welcome all levels, whether you are just beginning in your church music journey or are an experienced director.
Note: this is not a general choir conference, open to all church musicians. Rather, this is specifically for those in musical leadership positions at their parish, as well as those blessed by their priest to pursue preparing for leadership in those positions. Attendees must receive a blessing from their parish priest prior to registration.
Conference Dates & Details
Liturgy: will be sung by the choir comprised of attendees and directed by our featured speaker, Sdn. Stephen Ritchey. A full schedule of the conference will be made available in May.
Date: August 27th-29th
Check-in: Will begin in the afternoon of Thursday, August 27th, and the conference will conclude with the celebration of the Divine Liturgy on Saturday morning, August 29th.
Location: Holy Trinity Orthodox Church (GOA) in Spokane, Washington.
Accommodations
A block of hotel rooms will be reserved for a discounted price in downtown Spokane, Washington. Further details on location and how to make your reservation will be sent out in May, or following your registration post-May. If you need assistance with accommodation, reach out to the conference organizers email at NWchoirconference@gmail.com to inquire about staying with a host family for your stay.
Conference Tuition
Tuition is $100 per attendee. Included in tuition is dinner Thursday, coffee and refreshments Friday morning, lunch Friday, and coffee hour Saturday. We encourage parishes to invest in their choir and cover tuition and hotel costs for their attendees. However, if you need financial assistance, reach out to the organizers and we will assess if resources are available to assist your church in attending.
Registration closes August 5th, 2026. But we encourage you to register as soon as possible to help us better plan this event!
Register for the Event
Meet Our Conference Speakers
FEATURED INSTRUCTOR
SDN. STEPHEN RITCHEY
Sdn. Stephen is a trained vocalist with a robust background in choral singing, Byzantine chant, and liturgical directing. He is currently head director of St. Symeon’s Orthodox Church choir (OCA). He can be heard in recordings from St. Symeon’s Orthodox Church, Doxa Ensemble, and Ancient Faith Kid’s Rocko’s Music Factory, of which he is co-creator.
CONFERENCE HOST
LOUISA ROGERS
Louisa is a trained vocalist who has sung in Orthodox choirs her whole life. Her 2019 conference experience inspired her current role as director at St. Luke’s and her passion for helping others in liturgical music.
CONFERENCE HOST
ELIZABETH JERRELL
Elizabeth is a composer and trained violinist. Formerly assistant choir director at St. Symeon’s, she is now co-director at St. Luke’s. Her compositions are featured in recordings by Doxa Ensemble.
Questions?
Feel free to reach out to event organizers at NWchoirconference@gmail.com
