Biography:

Cantor Lance Rhodes was born in Fairfax, Virginia, but lived in Ormond Beach, Florida for most of his life with his very musical and actively Jewish family.

He received his Bachelor’s of Music from the University of Miami in 2003. While attending the University of Miami, he led High Holiday services with a cantor and a male quartet in South Beach, directed several different music groups, composed soundtracks for a couple of student films, and headlined as the main performer/composer for events such as the March of Dimes Walk and University of Miami 9-11 Vigil.

For a brief period after graduation, Cantor Rhodes worked as a free-lance arranger for Warner Bros. Publications, composed a theme song that was used for the national television show, “National Lampoon’s Comedy Night School,” and worked on board the Rhapsody of The Seas ship (out of Galveston, Texas) for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.

Beginning in August of 2004, Cantor Rhodes attended the H. L. Miller Cantorial School at the Jewish Theological Seminary. During his years at JTS, he served as a student cantor for many different synagogues including Temple Beth El in Oakhurst, New Jersey, Congregation Sons of Israel in Nyack, New York, Congregation B'nai Torah in Ormond Beach, Florida, the Midway Jewish Center in Syosset, New York, and Temple Israel in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Cantor Rhodes has also composed pieces for Jewish settings (which include a setting for Psalm 29 published by Transcontinental Music) and has been honored with the Max and Sol Feld Prize in composition for two consecutive years. Cantor Rhodes was invested as a hazzan and received his Masters in Sacred Music from JTS in May of 2009 and is excited to have now begun his career journey as the cantor for Congregation Brith Shalom.