Alonso, Tony

Tony Alonso is a Latin Grammy-nominated composer of sacred music and a theologian whose work responds to the diverse needs of the contemporary church. 

A Cuban-American Roman Catholic, Tony's compositions embrace multicultural musical expressions and reflect a commitment to strong ritual song. His music appears in compilations and hymnals across Christian denominations throughout the world. Tony’s Mass of Joy and Peace is one of the most widely sung Mass settings in the United States. In 2015, his compositional work was recognized with an invitation to compose the responsorial psalm for the first Mass Pope Francis celebrated in the United States. In 2020, he was nominated for a Latin Grammy for his groundbreaking album Caminemos con Jesús.

Tony's scholarly work lies at the intersection of liturgical theology and cultural studies. In 2019, he was awarded the Catherine Mowry LaCugna Award for new scholars for the best academic essay in the field of theology within the Roman Catholic tradition by the Catholic Theological Society of America. His book Commodified Communion: Eucharist, Consumer Culture, and the Practice of Everyday Life was awarded the 2021 Hispanic Theological Initiative Book Prize. Tony is Aquinas Assistant Professor of Theology and Culture at Candler School of Theology at Emory University where he also serves as the inaugural Director of Catholic Studies.