Billy Mattison is a hail-fellow-well-met. Passionate, funny, engaging, enthusiastic.

You find that all in the first five minutes of meeting him.

And as the new music director at Ascension Church, these attributes should serve him well. He comes from a musical family – his grandfather was a singer, enjoying singing for his community and for his church.

Sadly, Mattison’s grandfather died of cancer without ever hearing his grandson sing.

“I have dedicated my career to him,” Mattison said. “I think he would be pleased about my new position.”

Mattison picks up where Charles Szczepanek left off at Ascension. Szczepanek moved with his family to Colorado to work on his personal music career. Szczepanek, however, has been present for Mattison, offering assistance and support as Mattison begins his new journey.

“Charles has been so great,” Mattison said. “His program at the church will carry on.”

Mattison, who already has met with the church choir and begun rehearsals for upcoming events, said he will continue the “Festival of Lessons and Carols” program this year.

The festival will be held Dec. 12. Ticket sales will be announced soon.

The Arts at Ascension program will be postponed until the 2022-23 season.

Before coming to Fountain Hills, Mattison was in Tucson. He earned his doctorate in choral conducting from the University of Arizona. His undergraduate work was at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, N.J.

Mattison is an accomplished musician, playing piano and organ. But his main instrument is his voice. He began singing when he was nine and started directing as a freshman in high school when his teacher gave him the opportunity.

He has sung with the Philadelphia Philharmonic and the New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall.