The Directors

Joseph Hudson - Director

Joseph currently serves as the Assistant Minister of Music and Directs the Youth Chorale at Park Avenue Christian Church.  He also provides musical support to other ensembles at PACC as both a singer and pianist.  He is excited to be a part of such a vibrant faith community and to be able to share his love of teaching vocal music with so many talented young singers.  Joseph previously served on the music staff of the First United Methodist Church of Northport, Alabama as the pianist and Director of Music.  During his eight-year tenure there he directed the Chancel Choir and established a reputation of excellence in the community for the music program at large.

Mr. Hudson is an active music educator in the New York metropolitan area where, in addition to his duties at PACC, he works as a Choral Artist for the Metropolitan Opera Guild’s Urban Voices school program.   He also collaborates with music teachers from other area schools as a pianist and vocal coach.  His prior teaching experiences are extremely diverse, having worked with students ranging in age from pre-school to adults.  He began the choral program at Brookwood Middle School (Vance, AL) where his ensembles were recognized with excellent and superior ratings at both local and state adjudications and were invited to perform in Walt Disney World’s Magical Music Days.  Mr. Hudson also taught private voice as a graduate teaching assistant at the University of Alabama and, after graduating, served as an assistant music director and accompanist for several productions with the opera program there.

As a singer, Mr. Hudson has performed principal and leading operatic roles with the University of Alabama Opera Theatre, Theatre Tuscaloosa, and made professional appearances with Alabama Operaworks and Opera Birmingham.  In addition, he has appeared as a choral soloist and presented art song recitals in various locations.  His most recent performance was as a soloist in the Arts at the Park Valentine’s Day Concert in February of this year. 

Mr. Hudson holds the Master of Music degree in vocal performance and the Bachelor of Science degree in vocal/choral music education from the University of Alabama.  His teachers there included Susan Fleming (voice), Sandra Willetts (conducting), and Faythe Freese (organ).  He was a member of the university’s premier ensemble, University Singers, as an undergraduate and graduate student and sang under notable directors Willetts and John Ratledge.

Joseph continues to enjoy discovering new people, places and things in this great city.  He is a diehard University of Alabama football fan (Roll Tide!) and also enjoys running, reading, cooking, and spending time in the outdoors.

 ~      ~      ~

 Paul Vasile – Minister of Music

As the Minister of Music at Park Avenue Christian Church, Paul shares his passion for sacred music from diverse traditions and styles, encourages the congregation’s active participation in worship and welcomes the gifts of musicians from the congregation and community.  He directs the Sanctuary Choir, the Gospel Choir and serves as an accompanist for the Youth Chorale.  Prior to his call to The Park, he served as the Minister of Music at Trinity Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) in St. Louis, Missouri, where he established a diverse music ministry, created a distinctive concert series and built strong musical partnerships between the church and community. He has also served as an organist, choir director and pianist for congregations in New York, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

Paul has taught at Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis and offered music workshops for congregations and church conferences around the country. He has also developed and taught several unique education programs, including a small group class designed to help individuals reclaim their singing voice and another demonstrating the pipe organ’s ability to make powerful spiritual statements.  Additionally, he shares reflections on music and faith  in a wider forum through his blog, lovedintobeing.

As a composer, Paul has written a substantial amount of liturgical music, including pieces for choir, solo voice, service music, Psalm settings, arrangements and instrumental music. His most recent commission, Magnificat: Via Activa, was performed in Orvieto, Italy in June 2009 as part of the town’s annual Festival of Art and Faith.  Other recent work includes Es ist genug for trombone octet and organ, which was premiered by the St. Louis Trombone Quartet and members of the St. Louis Symphony trombone section.  He is currently working on a chamber opera based on the book of Judith as well as music for dance.  His first published composition, “Let All the World In Every Corner Sing” for children’s choir, is distributed by Morningstar Music Publishers.

Paul earned his Master of Music degree and a Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music as a student of Thomas Schumacher. He earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Gordon College in Wenham, MA where he studied with Mia Chung and Raymond Hanson. He has significant experience as a collaborative pianist and can be heard on a newly-released recording of works by the American composer, Eliot Schwartz, distributed by the Innova label.

 ~      ~      ~

Alvin Hough, Jr. – Accompanist

Alvin is thrilled to be working with Mr. Paul , Mr. Joseph and the Youth Chorale once again!  A recent graduate of Harvard (2006, A.B. in Earth and Planetary Sciences) and Georgia Tech (2008, Master’s in Meteorology), Alvin has been playing the piano for 21 years and loves working with children.  A native of Washington, DC, he has previously taught piano lessons to children, and he started playing for his home church, Michigan Park Christian Church (a sister Disciples church), way back in 1997 where he also worked with the children’s choir.  Alvin took a hiatus from PACC and New York City in 2010 when he tored the country as both a keyboardist and conductor of the Broadwasy musical Dreamgirls.  Alvin has also performed at the Kennedy Center, White House, Capitol and for numerous regional theatre productions in DC, including Godspell, Cinderella, Children of Eden, Grease, Working, Kiss Me, Kate, and A Chorus Line.  He recently earned a spot as a keyboardist on the sub list for the 2010 Tony – award winning Broadway sensation, Memphis.  Now a resident in Chelsea, Alvin is truly looking forward to continuing the work of the Chorale and hopes that its numbers grow exponentially in the months and years to come.

Update:  We are happy to congratulate Mr. Alvin on being selected to serve as the musical director for the National Tour of the hit Broadway musical Memphis!  We will miss having him with us during the run of the show but look forward to his return.