The eldest of four siblings, Dylan Wyka grew up in the Greater New York City area. His parents are professional musicians, each of whom has almost 50 years of experience at various levels within the business, and Dylan’s siblings, too, are involved in the music industry.
At the age of 5, Dylan began taking piano lessons but developed his passion for it around the age of 11. With his piano teacher’s move away from New Jersey the very next year, he took the technique that he had learned and intensely embellished upon it with indefatigable self-instruction in theory and repertoire. Upon entering into college, Dylan was admitted into a special programme for select incoming freshmen in Florence, Italy… and essentially never came back. While abroad, Dylan was further immersed in the rich history and culture of Europe at large and even travelled as far westward as Istanbul, which was a turning point in his spiritual and cultural life. The proud product of 13 years of Catholic education, Dylan became interested in Islam, Judaism and other world religions and began a personal and public campaign for interfaith reconciliation. For 4 years, he developped – as well as incorporated and was president – of an English language-based, international Catholic youth association in Florence, which was called The Society of St. Thomas More.
Upon his return to the United States to pursue full-force a career in entertainment as a singer-songwriter, Dylan became increasingly more involved in serving as a substitute musician in churches and other houses of worship. He eventually inherited directorship of a contemporary choir, Spirit, after the passing of his home parish’s music director and assisted his mother in the direction and accompaniment of her children’s choir. It is at this point that Dylan seized his vocation as a composer of liturgical music, beginning with his unfinished Mass for Every Age and then followed by several anthems and hymns. The culmination of his work in liturgical music to date has been 3 functioning Mass settings: The Mass of St. John Bosco (a tribute to his high school experience among the Salesians), The Mass of the Nations (available in English, Spanish, Italian, French, German, Portuguese and Latin, among other adaptations to come) and the Missa Spei Viventis (or “The Mass of Living Hope”).
While continuing to write secular songs and building an arsenal of works in the Pop, R&B and even Broadway genres, Dylan was blessed with a new opportunity to direct the musical endeavours of a young bilingual outreach group called Fearless Faith. The group eventually became his backing choir for concerts and a consistent ministry during his service as the full-time music director of The Catholic Community of St. Brendan and St. George in Clifton, NJ. After his untimely resignation, the choirs under his direction chose to continue singing with him under the iteration that is now Dylan’s principal concert choir, The Wyka Festival Chorus. As a “reborn” substitute musician – a “gypsy” or a “liturgical tourist”, as he is often called –, Dylan is a minister to all congregations, continuing to advocate for interfaith reconciliation, for awareness of liturgical and linguistic traditions and for musical progress in the life of the Church. He also is currently the music director of the newborn non-denominational church, Ark Ministries, under the pastorship of Kelsey Maye.
On the secular side of Dylan’s ambitions, he hosts every Wednesday (usually at 7:30 PM) from his Facebook page a live segment called Wild Wyka Wednesdays, during which he entertains the viewers, interacts with his fan base and, even once a month, features a friend from the various sectors of the music business. Dylan constantly performs in restaurants, private events, bars, concerts, festivals… and soon on the radio. Aside from a career as an “triple-threat” entertainer, Dylan is also an arranger and orchestrator, whose works for soloists and ensembles of all sizes are only increasing with each project.
Insatiably interested in new languages, cultures and traditions, Dylan has a functioning knowledge of various languages, including Italian (and the Neapolitan dialect), Spanish, French, German, Dutch, Portuguese, Latin and Greek… and he plans to continue learning! He has worked as a tutor and a translator. Dylan is additionally well-read in various world religions and philosophies and is an avid traveller and (home) cook.