Artistic Staff
Below are bios of our Westmoreland Choral Society staff members.
Artistic Music Director
Dr. Thomas Octave
Dr. Thomas Octave has earned degrees from Carnegie Mellon University, Duquesne University and The Graduate Theological Foundation. As a conductor, Thomas is frequently seen in a multitude of varied genres of music. This year marks his fourteenth year as the music director of the Westmoreland Choral Society. At home in the theater, he has conducted numerous operas and musicals, He has collaborated with choreographer Maria Caruso, jazz legend Joe Negri, the River City Brass Band, prepared choruses for collaborations with Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra at Saint Vincent College.
A champion of new music, Thomas has premiered several major works by composer Nancy Galbraith, including her “O Magnum Mysterium”, “God of Justice”, “Ave Maria”, “Music When Soft Voices Die”, “Novena”, “Lumen Christi”, and “Hodie”. This season he will conduct the world premier of Nancy Galbraith’s “Stabat Mater”. In demand as a clinician, he has presented workshops and guest conducted ensembles for Indiana University of Pennsylvania, John Carroll University, Carnegie Mellon University, Benet Academy, District, Region/State and County Choral Festivals, and workshops for local high schools. Thomas has presented music for the First Lady of Uganda and The Queen of Jordan upon their visits to the Pacem In Terris Institute. He has also served as the assistant conductor of the Bach Choir in Pittsburgh. At Saint Procopius Abbey in Lisle, Illinois, he presented a series of concerts for peace in the Holy Land.
Currently, Dr. Octave is the Secretary of the Secretariat for Formation and Director of Lay Ministry for the Diocese of Pittsburgh, the Director of Sacred Music for the Diocese of Greensburg and Music Director at Mother of Sorrows Parish Murrysville.
Assistant Music Director
Béla Pater
Dr. Béla Pater, who has been active in full-time music ministry for over three decades, and has been the Director of Music, Choir Director & Organist in the Diocese of Pittsburgh at various parishes since his high school years. After completing his post graduate degrees, including studying abroad, he relocated to Chicago where he was Director of Worship & Music in the Archdiocese of Chicago, as well as the Artistic Director of the Chicago Boy Choir. Now back in Pittsburgh, he is at the parish of St. Raphael the Archangel, a merged parish of 3 churches, located in Carnegie, Greentree, Scott Township.
Béla has multiple degrees and certificates in organ, choral conducting, sacred music, liturgy, and theology from Duquesne University, Saint Joseph’s College, Universität Mozarteum (Salzburg, Austria), Goethe Institut (Bavaria, Germany) and the Pontificium Institutum Musicae Sacrae (Rome, Italy).
He has given organ recitals in Austria, Germany and Italy during his studies, as well as Chicago, Pittsburgh, Wisconsin, and New York. He feels blessed that his years of studies have endowed him with a variety of experiences, especially because he wishes to inspire congregations to enthusiastically participate at Mass.
Béla has studied and speaks several languages. His great love of music, languages and his heritage came from his immigrant grandparents who spoke Hungarian and German and were themselves musicians. Béla and his wife Karen make their home in the East End of Pittsburgh and their daughter is a senior at Pittsburgh’s Creative and Performing Arts High School. His wife’s family is from Latrobe and Derry and is pleased to be a member of the Westmoreland Choral Society since 2017 and working with Tom over these years – first singing at St. Vincent “Messiah” yearly concerts to becoming a regular member of WCS. Thank you to our WCS chorus who supports our mission: bringing alive beautiful choral music to Westmoreland County.
ACCOMPANIST
Nancy Finke Sheehan
Nancy Finke Sheehan has performed with many community, church, and local musicians through her work as an accompanist, church musician, piano teacher, and choral director. She is the former organist and director of the choirs at Christ’s Lutheran Church in Murrysville, where she directed and performed for “New Sound”, a contemporary worship experience. She has coached and and accompanied numerous students from elementary school through adults for vocal and instrumental solos, for church and school events.
For many years Ms. Sheehan taught piano in her Pittsburgh studio, sharing her passion for working with students to achieve their highest level of musicianship. Several of her students have gone on to become music teachers and performers.
During the pandemic, she recorded over 100 hymn tune arrangements for piano for members of her congregation and friends, to share music when we could not meet in person.
Ms. Sheehan is a graduate of Seton Hill University, with post-graduate work at Duquesne University and the University of Iowa. When she’s not performing, she loves spending time with her husband Ed and their family, especially grandsons Kai and Leo and granddaughter Lorelei.
She is grateful to have the opportunity to perform again with Tom Octave and the Westmoreland Choral Society.
YOUTH CHOIR DIRECTOR
Kelsey (Weightman) Kotun
Kelsey has sung for numerous collegiate, community, and religious events and still performs regularly around the area as a guest artist and soloist. In addition to singing with the Westmoreland Choral Society, she sings with the Chancel Choir of First Presbyterian Church of Greensburg and teaches private voice and piano lessons. Kelsey holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from Westminster College, and a Master of Arts degree in Educational Leadership from Edinboro University, and a Principal Certification from PennWest.
YOUTH CHOIR ACCOMPANIST
Dylan Balson
Dylan is a graduate of Seton Hill University with a degree in Music Education having studied Piano, Organ, and Voice. He currently serves as the Director of Music Ministries and one of the Organists for Mary Queen of Saints Parish within the Diocese of Pittsburgh. He oversees a very vibrant music program within the parish containing two adult choirs, and a children’s choir. He also serves as an accompanist for many schools in the Westmoreland and Allegheny County areas for various school choral concerts. He is excited to work alongside Ms. Kelsey Kotun with the youth of the Westmoreland Choral Society’s Youth Chorus.