Julian Pozniak

Julian Pozniak [Юліян Позняк], (b. 1916 in the Ukrainian village of Bolozhyniv, Zolochiv district, Lviv region; d. 2007 in Chicago, Illinois). Choir director at St. Joseph the Betrothed Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church in Chicago, IL from 1958 to 1978. He learned the basics of church music from his father, Andrew, who was a cantor and choir director. He studied at the school for cantors at St. George Cathedral in Lviv and earned his degree in 1938. After the war, he came to America and settled in Chicago. In 1975, St. Joseph’s choir joined together with the “Slavuta” choir from St. Nicholas Cathedral to form the Metropolitan Andrew Sheptytsky Choir of Chicago. The choir commissioned Andrij Hnatyshyn to compose a new work, which later became known as the “Chicago Divine Liturgy.” Pozniak was chosen to direct the recording.

1958-1978: Choir director at St. Joseph UGCC (Chicago, IL).