ST. ANNE'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
WELCOMING · DIVERSE · PROGRESSIVE
RESTON, VIRGINIA
Francisco Fernandez Called As Music Director
Dear St. Anne's Episcopal Church family,
I'm thrilled to have received the call to serve as your next Director of Music Ministry. I'm thankful for the kindness and generosity Mother Jess, Kurt Wilkinson and every member of the Music Director search committee showed to me when I visited St. Anne's a few weeks ago. My family and I are excited to move across the country and start this new chapter in our lives in Reston, VA. I can't wait to share with you my dreams and plans for our church music ministry. God willing, we will have the opportunity to meet in person soon and dream together, in the meantime time, greetings from Appleton, Wisconsin and many blessings to you!
Francisco
Music Director
Search
Stay engaged with this exciting process and keep abreast of the latest developments as we draw closer to selecting the perfect candidate to serve as St. Anne's Music Director.
All of the information you need is linked to from this page. Bookmark it and check back often for updates.
1
Search Committee Formed - September 23, 2023
A search committee has been formed to find St. Anne's next music director. They will be holding meetings and developing a congregational survey. Stay tuned.
Meet the committee.
2
Search Committee Commissioned - Sept 17
The search committee was commissioned in worship today. Stay tuned in coming weeks as there will be a Congregational survey, in addition to listening sessions, as we seek to glean a clearer vision from the congregation on what our new music director position could look like here at St Anne’s.
3
Survey Available - Sept 27
The survey is available online and in paper format to respond to. It will remain open for feedback through Oct 23rd.
4
First Listening Circle - Oct 15
​First listening circle was conducted today. These Listening Circles are available so parishioners can get a better understanding of the process and provide input. The circles will run until November 5
5
Listening Circles Concluded - Nov 6
Thank you to everyone who participated in the survey and/or the listening circles. We had 101 survey participants and held 4 listening circles. A lot of great input was provided and our team will now be putting together the job description based on the feedback.
8
Final Auditions - January 2024
In January the committee will hold final auditions and interviews and hopes to extend a call soon after.
About Francisco
Francisco Fernandez is a Mexican conductor and pianist, and is passionate about sharing the gift of music with audiences around the world. He has an active international career as an orchestral and choral conductor, concert pianist, chamber musician, and church music minister.
In 2020, he made his conducting debut at Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor, Michigan conducting the University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra. He has appeared as a conductor and soloist in Latin America and the United States at multiple international festivals. Francisco holds a master’s degree in orchestral conducting from the University of Michigan and a master’s degree in piano performance from The Boston Conservatory.
Since 2011, he has performed in a cello-piano duo with his wife, cellist Taide Prieto, comprising Duo of Hope. Their career as a chamber group has taken them across Latin-America, the United States and Europe. As an avid educator, Francisco served as an adjunct piano professor at the University of Science and Arts of Chiapas in Mexico and has been invited to teach masterclasses at numerous institutions across Mexico and Peru. Currently, he teaches orchestral conducting at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin.
As a church music minister, he has worked with churches of various denominations: Presbyterian, Lutheran, Congregational - United Church of Christ, Christan Science, Seventh-day Adventist, and now Episcopal. His aim is to be in the constant and unattainable search for excellence, in the concert hall, but especially in a church setting, as "we make music primarily to honor and worship God, and to God we should always offer our absolute best".