“The Haverford music faculty taught me how to create, write, and think about music,” says Joseph, who majored in music at Haverford. “More importantly, they inspired, and continue to inspire, me to pursue my passions and to be open to new musical experiences. I simply would not be where I am today without their mentorship and support.”
Joseph had held several positions in the music industry before arriving at New Music USA, where he served as a manager for three years.
Right after graduation, he worked as an orchestra operations intern for the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. Interning at one of the country’s largest performing art centers, he worked on community outreach events and learned about the production of weekly orchestra concerts.
After a year, he moved to New York City, where he began working as operations manager of Make Music New York, an annual one-day festival that hosts over a 1,000 concerts in public spaces across the city. For instance, two years ago he produced an event for 175 keyboardists on Cornelia Street in Brooklyn, which broke the Guinness World Record for the largest electronic keyboard ensemble.
“It’s been an exciting and enriching experience for many reasons, but perhaps most importantly because it’s exposed me to a diverse range of composers, improvisers, ensembles, and institutions, and the communities that make their work possible,” says Joseph about his work at New Music USA.
Joseph recently recorded an album with his bluegrass and folk music band Cole Quest and the City Pickers. Last fall he stepped outside his music background and began an MBA program at Yale School of Management, knowledge that he plans to apply in service of the arts.
“During my senior year I composed and performed new pieces, wrote a musicology thesis, and conducted the Bi-Co Orchestra,” he says. “For me, being a music major was about going outside my comfort zone, and I highly encourage current music majors to do the same.”