Music
Music at St. John’s
Hymns, spirituals, gospel, jazz and contemporary worship, led by jazz pianist Sterling Cozza and sung by volunteers and professionals together.
Our choir
Every week, many traditions
Who we are
The St. John’s Choir is a blend of dedicated volunteers and professional section leaders who come together to make music every week.
When we sing
The full choir sings from September through May. Our summer choir keeps singing from June through August.
What we sing
The great hymns of the church, African American spirituals, gospel, jazz, and contemporary worship songs, with choral classics through the year.
Music Director
Sterling Cozza
Sterling is a jazz pianist, composer and arranger who plays New York’s great rooms, including Dizzy’s Club at Lincoln Center and Smalls Jazz Club. His first album as a leader, Two Steps Forward, One Step Back, came out in September 2026. He trained at the Eastman School of Music (piano performance and music education) and the Manhattan School of Music (master’s in jazz piano), studying with Bill Dobbins, Gary Versace and Ted Rosenthal.
He started out playing piano in church as a kid in Sacramento, and he still believes music is one of the best ways to bring people together. On Sundays you’ll hear all of it: a hymn played like it matters, a spiritual with real swing.
Email SterlingInterested in singing?
Join the choir
If you love to sing, we’d love to hear from you. Some of our volunteers read music and some learn by ear; what matters is that you can carry a tune and want to sing. Come to a Sunday rehearsal at 9:00 AM, or email Sterling first.
Email Sterling CozzaRehearsals