Joseph N. Rubinstein was born in Cleveland, OH, and grew up in Newport News, VA. Now based in New York City, his music is largely focused on texted and dramatic genres like opera, art song, and choral music. With an emphasis on emotional directness and vivid storytelling, Joseph’s work is often inspired by intimate scenarios that engage with American social history and landscape, explorations of identity, and the natural world. His compositional approach is rooted in his early experience as an actor, and he is fascinated by the intersection of music, text, and poetic image. He views music a powerful generator for empathy, understanding, and community.
Joseph’s work has been presented at organizations including The New York Festival of Song, Fort Worth Opera Festival, the Seagle Music Festival, American Opera Projects, The Manhattan School of Music Opera Theater, the American Traditions Vocal Competition, Amanda+James, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale’s art song recital series, Renee Fleming’s SongStudio at Carnegie Hall, The Secret Opera, Spoleto Festival USA’s “Intermezzi”, C4, and the Society for New Music. His work has been programmed by college choirs and student / faculty singers across the USA, including those at Adelphi University, Bard College, Dickinson College, the University of Houston, The Juilliard School, and College of the Holy Cross, as well as by a number of community and liturgical choirs. He has received commissions from The Juilliard School, Essential Voices USA, The Young New Yorkers’ Chorus, The Urbana Public Arts Council, New Vintage Baroque, and counter codex, among others.
Joseph’s work has been supported by a Repertoire Development Grant from Opera America (2020), as well as an Opera Genesis Fellowship at the Hermitage Artist Retreat (2018 / 2019). His music has received awards and recognition from The National Association of Teachers of Singing, The Institute for Choral Creativity, and the Society for New Music, among others. He was a 2013-2015 fellow in American Opera Projects’ “Composers & The Voice” program, and is an alumnus of the Composer-Librettist Studio at New Dramatists (2016) and the Pacific Chorale’s “Choral Sketches” program (2019). Joseph’s vocal works are published with North Star Music LLC, Hal Leonard, and See-A-Dot music, and have been recorded on the 4Tay, Albany, and Crossover labels.
Joseph studied at Columbia University (BA) and at The Juilliard School (MM). He further studied with composer Tarik O’Regan, and at the Bowdoin International Music Festival and Yale Summer School of Music at Norfolk. An enthusiastic collaborator, he has worked on new theatrical works and songs with librettists and writers including Mark Campbell, Jason Kim, and Melisa Tien. He is active as a professional choral performer in the New York City area, and works as both a singer and as a music administrator.
Photos by Catherine Hancock