Joseph Bates is a Master Teacher of Fitzmaurice Voicework®, conductor and music director as well as a vocal coach.
Joseph has taught singing for over 30 years, and his approach is based on breathing techniques. In 1999 he met Catherine Fitzmaurice and was so inspired by her extraordinary approach to voice work, focusing especially on breathing, that he studied with her and became a certified associate teacher in 2000. He quickly added this amazing technique to his own teaching and began an ongoing and vibrant relationship with Catherine, which led to her naming him as a Master Teacher of Fitzmaurice Voicework® in 2012.
Joseph has served as music director of regional theatre and of opera companies where his repertoire includes over 100 musicals, operas, and symphonic and choral works. Highlights include Candide, Sweeney Todd, Parade, HMS Pinafore, Was (World Premiere), Chicago, Cabaret, Into the Woods, Crazy for You, and The Light in the Piazza.
Beginning in 2000, he has worked with some of the top composers, directors, performers and teachers in the American Musical Theatre including Judy Blazer, Joseph Thalken, Malcolm Gets and Susan Blackwell. He has worked with Ricky Ian Gordon and Tina Landau on their musical, States of Independence. His recording of Ricky Ian Gordon’s Only Heaven is available on PS Classics.
Joseph’s interest in music theatre has included many new works in various stages of development, from readings and semi staged presentations to full productions. These include works by Ricky Ian Gordon (The Family Piece), Joseph Thalken (Was), Sean Michael Flowers (Prometheus Dreams and Guarding Gold Street) and Christian Duhamel (A Beautiful End).
His orchestral repertoire includes music by Barber, Bernstein, Poulenc, Mozart, and Chausson among others.
Joseph has also staged over 20 musicals and operas that include Crazy for You, Evita, Into the Woods, The Apple Tree, A Little Night Music, Godspell, The Light in the Piazza and Amahl and the Night Visitors.
In 2004, Judy Blazer, Landon Heimbach and Bates co-founded The Artist’s Crossing whose mission is “promoting the arts by bringing together diverse artists of all levels and backgrounds, to mentor and guide aspiring artists, members of the community and one another through educational workshops, the creation of new works, and productions of existing repertoire.”
He just concluded a 33-year career in academia, during which time he was instrumental in creating the musical theatre programs both at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, and Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama. In addition to his musical contributions to these universities he was stage director for several productions and taught speaking voice, dialects and music theatre history.
