Thomas McCarthy was born and raised in Corrales, New Mexico, before moving to Northfield, Minnesota, to study choral music at St. Olaf College. He is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree in Church Music with a Choral Emphasis, which allows him to focus on the study of conducting.

During his sophomore year of study, McCarthy served as director of the adult choir at Church of St. Dominic in Northfield. After a year and half with the adult choir, he was appointed as Director of Music at All Saints Lutheran Church in Eagan, where he currently serves a choir of 15 and an average congregation of roughly 100.

McCarthy has been conducting student choirs throughout his entire time at St. Olaf. Most recently, McCarthy created The Christiansen Choir, a group of roughly 30 students dedicated to preserving the music of the Lutheran choral tradition. This year the choir performed F. Melius Christiansen’s beloved motet, Celestial Spring, and provided a wealth of opportunity for the many first-year students in the choir. These first-years went on to find great success in their auditions for the St. Olaf Choir, St. Olaf Chapel Choir, St. Olaf Cantorei, and St. Olaf Chamber Singers.

McCarthy currently sings as a first tenor in the world renowned St. Olaf Choir, where he serves as the Tenor Section Leader. McCarthy has also sung with the Summer Singers and Viking Chorus.

During the summer of 2024, McCarthy traveled on tour to South Africa with the St. Olaf Choir, before participating in several conducting symposiums at University of Michigan, University of North Texas, and the University of Minnesota.