Director of Music
Phone: (386) 441-1505
Elizabeth Rivero Jennings has been the Associate Director of Music for the Diocese of Orlando and St. James Cathedral since August of 2006. Some highlights during her time at St. James include taking her Children and Youth Choirs to Rome, Italy Dec. 26, 2015 - Jan. 3, 2016 for the American Federation of Pueri Cantores, (where the Choirs sang several Papal liturgies with Pope Francis at St. Peter’s Basilica and St. John Lateran Cathedral), and, more recently, hosting the Conference of Roman Catholic Cathedral Musicians in January of this year, serving also as a Workshop Speaker on Spanish and Bilingual Liturgical music.
Prior to coming to the Cathedral, she served for almost 17 years as Organist and Director of Music at All Souls Catholic Church in Sanford, where she directed several choirs and enjoyed taking the Adult Choir members to Rome to sing for Pope John Paul II. Before All Souls, she served 4 years at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Apopka. Born in Havana, Cuba, Elizabeth is bilingual: fluent in English and Spanish. She also speaks Italian and some French.
Elizabeth holds a Bachelor of Arts in Piano Performance from the University of South Florida in Tampa (1981) studying piano with Dr. Armin Watkins, and did further Post-Baccalaureate study at U.C.F. with Piano Professor Dr. Gary Wolf. Elizabeth was also an organ student of Mr. Ken Stoops.
In her position at St. James, Elizabeth assisted with the Cathedral Choir, directed the Coro Hispano, Children’s Choir and Jubilate Youth Choirs and served as assistant Organist for Cathedral and Diocesan events.
Elizabeth was on the Music Committee of the Bishops Liturgical Commission for many years, between 2000- 2015, and has been active with the Orlando Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, the National Pastoral Musicians and the Conference of Roman Catholic Cathedral Musicians.
She is married to Phillip Jennings who is a musician and a retired Educator. They have two married daughters: Kimberly (James Williams) and Shannon (John Holman). Kimberly and James have one son, Rhys,
age five.
Elizabeth is excited to be on the staff of St. Brendan, and looks forward to leading the parish in prayerful song!
