Laura Petry’s Christmas Vision

December 8th, 2025

For conductor Laura Petry, retirement was meant to be a gentle closing of a long and meaningful chapter. She had spent decades directing choirs across multiple countries, beginning in the Chicagoland area and stretching through her time in Germany where she led ensembles in military chapels. After years performing and teaching in the Midwest she believed she had earned a quieter pace. Yet in her words, when you make plans, God laughs.

Only a year into her role as Director of Music at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Petry has stepped into one of her most ambitious seasons yet. She is preparing a Christmas celebration that brings together vocalists, organists, and musicians from across Nebraska in a way the cathedral has never presented before. Instead of slowing down, she is orchestrating a new moment of artistic collaboration built on a lifetime of musical dedication.

Music has always been at the heart of Petry’s world. Her mother was a concert pianist, and her children have performed with Opera Omaha, making music a family thread that has shaped generations. After twenty eight years in Omaha she continues to see the arts as a vital part of community life and as a gift meant to be shared. “I love working with every age that wants to study music,” she says. She believes music should bring joy whether someone pursues it professionally or simply as part of their everyday life.

That desire to share music inspired the creation of Cantare which is Italian for sing. Petry founded the Renaissance ensemble in 2023. The group focuses on what she affectionately calls the greatest hits of 1585 and performs four, six, and eight part harmonies. Cantare travels to assisted living facilities and veterans’ communities bringing early music directly to people who may not have opportunities to attend live performances.

This December Cantare joins Trinity Cathedral and the American Guild of Organists for the cathedral’s first collaborative Service of Lessons and Carols. With the Omaha and Lincoln AGO chapters merging into the new Nebraska chapter the moment feels especially meaningful. Petry saw an opportunity to bring musicians from both cities together, creating an evening that celebrates unity, tradition, and shared artistry.

The December twenty first program follows nine readings that move from Advent to Christmas. Each reading is paired with musical offerings that include a cappella choral pieces, organ solos, congregational hymns, a children’s youth choir, a brass quartet, and expressive flute duets. The service will be livestreamed on YouTube which allows anyone who cannot attend in person to experience the music from home. Petry views accessibility as essential and believes that the joy of the season should reach as many people as possible.

The season does not end there. On January second and third, Cantare returns to Joslyn Castle for its third annual Twelfth Night feast. Guests experience a full Renaissance themed evening with a three course dinner, wandering carolers, and even a visit from Queen Elizabeth. Sixteen vocalists perform throughout the rooms of the castle creating an atmosphere that feels like stepping out of modern life and into a historical celebration. Petry describes it as an event that offers beauty, immersion, and a bit of holiday magic.

What began as her return from retirement has unfolded into something larger. Petry’s work has become a renaissance of its own, filled with collaboration, community, and an enduring belief in the power of shared music. The cathedral’s Service of Lessons and Carols will return on Sunday December twenty first at seven in the evening at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral. More information is available at cantareomaha.com and trinityepiscopalcathedral.org.