John Michael Thomas (b.1983) holds a Bachelor of Music degree with concentration in organ performance from Montclair State University (2006). He is a member of the Metropolitan Chapter of the American Guild of Organists and has been serving as the Music Director and organist for Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Newark since May of 2005.

John Michael Thomas was born in 1983 and raised by a loving and musically inclined family in the Western New Jersey suburb of Lake Hopatcong. From youth, his parents encouraged his musical development and by the age of 14 he began playing the organ for occasional masses at Our Lady, Star of the Sea Parish. At 16, John added another component to his career through employment with David Beaty & Associates of Orange NJ; specializing in pipe organ maintenance and rebuilding. At 16, he was hired to be the organist for St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Haledon, NJ. He simultaneously commenced his education at Montclair State University where he studied organ performance practice with Dr. Kenneth Hamrick. John also participated in master classes with John Scott and David Higgs as a featured recitalist in the Young Organ Artists Series directed by Dr. Gail Archer. In 2006, John completed his Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance with a concentration in Organ, and a minor in Computer Science. Since 2005, John has been the Organist & Director of Music for Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Newark, NJ. To date, the highlights of his career include playing organ continuo in a performance of Bach’s Magnificat by the Montclair State University Chamber Singers and Orchestra, and directing the Mount Carmel Schola in Dubois’ Seven Last Words. He was instrumental in facilitating the 2008 completion of the renovations and expansion of the organ at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, Newark. In 2009, he assisted Mr. Beaty in providing and tuning a continuo organ for the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra’s performance of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion conducted by Kurt Masur at Avery Fisher Hall. John currently resides in southern New Jersey with his wife and children and enjoys traveling whenever possible.