Christendom College President George A. Harne, Ph.D., has released a new episode of the Christendom Conversations podcast, featuring a compelling discussion with renowned composer Frank La Rocca. In the episode, La Rocca shares his powerful musical and spiritual journey — from his early studies in music to his shift into composing, and the moments of personal crisis that ultimately led to his conversion to Catholicism.
La Rocca serves as Composer-in-Residence at the Benedict XVI Institute for Sacred Music and Divine Liturgy and is best known for his Mass of the Americas, hailed as “a cornerstone of modern liturgical composition.” His accolades include winning the ORTUS international choral competition, the 2018 American Prize for his oratorio A Rose in Winter, and commissions from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Diocese of Oakland. Trained at Yale and UC Berkeley, La Rocca transitioned from modernist roots to a deeply personal sacred style, with a focus on a cappella choral works. His music has been performed internationally and is published by Boosey & Hawkes, Walton Music, and Lumen Verum Music.
In this engaging conversation with Dr. Harne, La Rocca reflects on the influence of his jazz trumpeter father, the challenges posed by modernist music, and the creative process behind his celebrated Mass of the Americas, among other topics.
This marks the sixth episode of Christendom Conversations, following June’s episode featuring popular speaker, writer, and theologian Dr. Andrew Whitmore, who discussed his new book Saintly Habits and his free online course Becoming a Saint — both focused on helping Catholics cultivate a life of virtue.
Christendom Conversations is part of Christendom College’s expanding podcast network, offering listeners and viewers rich engagement with the Catholic intellectual tradition. Through in-depth interviews with Catholic scholars and cultural leaders, the podcast explores timeless questions and enduring truths. New episodes are released monthly.
