Programs and Events

Wendy is the Senior Coordinator for Liturgy and Music in the Office for Divine Worship, Archdiocese of Chicago. She received her BM in Church music from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa and her MA in Liturgical Music from St. John’s University, Collegeville. She brings many years of experience in parish, seminary, and diocesan liturgy to her work with the archdiocese. Wendy is a pianist, organist, flutist, choir director and cantor. Her interests in liturgy include the relationship between liturgy and catechesis and the impact of liturgy on our everyday lives. A native of Minnesota, she currently resides in Berwyn, Illinois.

Praised for the dark timbre and agile control of her voice, mezzo-soprano Josephine Stracek enjoys performing for audiences throughout the United States. She is dedicated to exploring unusual vocal repertoire, sharing new and undiscovered songs with her audiences. Her passion for poetry and language has brought her on a path in discovering art song new and old. Josephine’s rich mezzo-soprano voice often enhances sacred services, opera and choral choruses in the Chicago area. She has appeared in several operas including Zerlina/Don Giovanni (Mozart), Helen/Three Sisters Who are Not Sisters (Rorem), le BergeĚre and le Rossignol/L’enfant et les sortileĚges (Ravel), George de Planteville/Bagatelle (Offenbach), and most recently as The Mother/Hansel and Gretel (Humperdinck) with Evanston Chamber Opera.

Josephine found her calling to music ministry in elementary school, developing a lifelong passion for spreading joy through music. Originally from Minnesota, Josephine moved to the Chicagoland area for school, studying voice performance at North Park University. There she took full advantage of their church music-planning courses, growing her skills and knowledge to be better prepared to fully serve in the ministry. Throughout her musical career, Josephine has worked at many parishes across the Archdiocese of Chicago.

As an educator, Josephine is a firm believer in the well-rounded musician, herself focusing on the addition of piano and musicological studies during her time at university. She works with her students to establish technique while simultaneously focusing on what drives them, focusing on exploration and acknowledging hidden passions and new understanding of the many different musical styles.

Josephine’s vocal background includes experience in jazz, classical, and musical theatre techniques. Her piano skills are comprised of classical performance, accompaniment, and pop styles. Josephine has knowledge of music history and theory curriculums, incorporating.