Meet the Teachers

Dr. Tietze has been directing childrens’ choirs since 1979, both on the East coast and in California. He is currently Music Director/Organist at St. Mary’s Cathedral and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music from SJSU, a Master of Music and a Master of Musical Arts from Yale University Institute of Sacred Music, and a Doctor of Sacred Music from the Graduate Theological Foundation. His choirs have performed throughout the United States and Europe, and his books on the Introits are published by World Library Publications and Liturgy Training Publications.

Jennifer Park, mezzo-soprano, was raised in the Bay Area, where her passion for music and singing flourished through her involvement with the San Francisco Girls Chorus, beginning in January 2012. Her experiences with the chorus, which included domestic and international performances, paved the way for her undergraduate studies in music and vocal performance at the University of California, Santa Cruz, starting in October 2020. Under the mentorship of Dr. Emily Sinclair, Jennifer earned her Bachelor of Music in June 2023. Currently, she is pursuing graduate studies in Music Therapy at the University of the Pacific. In addition to her academic pursuits, Jennifer serves as a cantor and choir member at St. Mary’s Cathedral under the direction of Dr. Christoph Tietze and sings as a member of the Archbishop’s Schola under the direction of Dr. Jennifer Donelson-Nowicka. She has been music teacher at Stella Maris Academy since 2024 and at Nativity High School since 2025.

Marni was a school music teacher, church choir director, and Artistic Director of the Calgary Children’s Choir in Canada for 34 years. Her choirs completed fourteen national and international tours during this time. 

She began teaching in San Francisco five years ago, when she joined Dr. Christoph Tietze as a music educator with the Cathedral Choir School. Marni’s training includes a Master’s degree in Music Education with emphasis in Kodály (pronounced Koh-die, named for its Hungarian founder). In this approach, the singing voice is believed to be foundational to the development of excellent musicianship. Music concepts and skills are taught sequentially, using a variety of quality music including Sacred, Art, and Folk songs. Marni has worked as a sessional instructor in Kodály Levels courses for teachers at the University of Calgary, University of Alberta, and Silver Winds (Manitoba) Summer programs, and as a choir / conducting teacher at Holy Names University in Oakland. Marni studied choral conducting in numerous master class and summer seminar settings including Bulgaria, Hungary, Indianapolis, and California. She spent many years in her summers volunteering with the Christian Brothers at a township school in South Africa, where she offered music instruction. 

In 2022, Marni was the recipient of the Patricia Cook Memorial Award from Choir Alberta. The award is presented to a “person, choir, institution, program, or corporation who/which demonstrates an exemplary commitment to music education in schools or the wider community.” 

For fun, she enjoys spending time with her husband travelling, bike riding, reading, art and ceramics, and exploring neighborhood ice cream and coffee shops. Marni is thrilled to be part of the music education “team” at the Cathedral Choir School.