BIOGRAPHY

A native of North Florida, Strassberger began his musical life under the guidance of his parish organist, who introduced him to foundational music theory and the world of instrumental performance. This early formation opened the door to his enduring love for classical music, film scores, and opera. Deeply influenced by composers such as Johannes Brahms, Gustav Mahler, and John Williams, he developed the habit of studying orchestral scores to better understand the relationship between a composer’s intentions and the resulting sound.

 

After high school, Strassberger devoted several years to writing short instrumental works—creative exercises that gradually formed a modest catalog of original melodies. His compositional voice began to take clearer shape during his time in seminary formation, when he started writing for the Schola Cantorum. His early liturgical output included Mass settings, motets, and hymns, with a particular focus on setting the poetry of saints to music. Among his most beloved works are Hymn to Saint Raphael (2019) and Nada Te Turbe (2021), both of which celebrate the lives of saints and offer spiritual antidotes to the modern world.

 

During his years in Jacksonville, Strassberger served as Bass section leader for both the Jacksonville Symphony Chorus and the Lakewood Presbyterian Church choir. His experience performing within high-level choral ensembles has deeply informed his approach to vocal writing. He understands the human voice to be the greatest instrument with which to offer praise to God.

 

He rose to regional prominence following the 2023 world premiere of The Josephine Octave—a cycle of eight motets honoring St. Joseph—at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine. Strassberger’s Symphony No. 1 in A minor, completed in 2025 and dedicated to the Martyrs of La Florida, received notable acclaim from local bishops.

 

Strassberger writes from a deeply Catholic imagination, composing music that awakens the ancient faith within the hearts of today’s listeners. His mission in composing is to cultivate catechesis through sacred music.

 

• Will Strassberger was born on February 12, 1998.

• He is a native of North Florida and attended Keystone Heights High School, graduating as Valedictorian in 2016. 

• In 2018, Strassberger became a seminarian of the Diocese of St. Augustine, studying to be a Roman Catholic priest at St. John Vianney College Seminary in Miami, FL. He completed a B.A. in Philosophy, graduating at the top of his class in 2021.

• He left the seminary in 2022 and moved to Jacksonville, FL.

• From 2022-2024, Strassberger worked as the Pastoral Associate at St. Paul Catholic Church in Riverside. He helped overhaul the music ministry and shape the liturgical environment of the parish. 

• Strassberger taught theology and assisted with liturgical music at Bishop Kenny High School for the 2024-2025 academic year. ​

• In 2025, he was accepted to the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, IN on a full-ride scholarship to pursue the Master of Divinity degree.