In 2025, Susan Jane Matthews celebrated twenty years as Director of Music at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Burlingame, California where she serves as organist, director of the Choir of St. Paul’s, and founding director of the Choir School (2007). She has led the choir in three residencies at English cathedrals - Gloucester (2017), Wells (2022), and Lincoln (2025), in premieres of six commissioned works by women composers and poets (Melissa Dunphy, Margaret Burk/Mia Ayumi Malhotra, Errollyn Wallen, Roxanna Panufnik/Jessica Duchen, Shruthi Rajasekar/Malhotra, and Sarah MacDonald) and the recording of three albums ~ Sweetly Singing in the Choir (2014), Searching for Stars (2019), and Great Host (2024). She previously served as Director of Music at St. Michael’s Episcopal Cathedral, Boise, Idaho, and as Principal Organist of Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, where she recorded two organ albums: Chosen Tunes (2004) and More Chosen Tunes (2016).

Susan completed a Bachelor of Arts Phi Beta Kappa at Haverford College and a Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts at the Eastman School of Music. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Royal School of Church Music of America (RSCMA), and on the music staff of the summer choral courses in the West and King’s College, in her hometown of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. She was appointed an Associate of the RSCM in Fall 2019.

A passionate advocate for the great host of women musicians in the church, Susan has highlighted their music in performances throughout the United States and Europe. Her writings on girl choristers and the German Romantic composer and pianist Fanny Hensel have been published in the AAM Journal and the RSCM Church Music Quarterly. She is the founding coordinator of A Great Host of Women Composers Database (www.greathostcomposers.org). She also seeks glimpses of beauty through bird photography and song. www.susanjanematthews.com