José Meléndez

Assistant to the Music Director/Librarian

Pianist José Meléndez is widely in demand as a vocal coach, conductor, and collaborative artist. His professional engagements have taken him to Europe, South and Central America, Asia, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and throughout the mainland United States. He is committed to the artistic development of young and emerging singers and has been associated with numerous young artist programs, competitions, and training centers.

Mr. Meléndez holds a full-time position at the Academy of Vocal Arts (AVA) in Philadelphia, where he is Assistant to the Music Director, Orchestra Librarian, and part of the music staff. He serves as Assistant Conductor, Collaborative Pianist, and Vocal Coach for various AVA productions and events, and he is also the Music Director of Concert Operetta Philadelphia, an organization dedicated to the performance of operetta in concert. In fall 2024, he will join soprano Othalie Graham as co-chair for the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, Philadelphia District, and also serve as the pianist for the Mid-Atlantic District and Region.

Throughout his prolific career, Mr. Meléndez has held professional positions with Glimmerglass Opera (Principal Coach), Opera Company of Philadelphia, Hawaii Opera Theatre (Chorus Master, Repetiteur, Studio Artist Coach), Ocean City (NJ) Pops Orchestra (Conductor), Connecticut Grand Opera, Bay Area Summer Opera Theater (Conductor), Westminster Opera Theater (Music Director), Indianapolis Opera, and Opera de Puerto Rico. For over a decade, he worked with Opera New Jersey as Assistant Conductor and Principal Coach and as Music Director of the Young Artist Program.

Mr. Meléndez made his Carnegie Hall debut as a solo pianist in a recital with pianist José Ramos Santana in May 2011. He continues his role as Principal Coach and Pianist for the Puerto Rico Metropolitan Council District and Regional Auditions, a position he has held for over 25 years. Over the years, he has worked with the Castleton Music Festival (C.A.T.S. Principal Coach), Curtis Institute of Music (Music Staff), L’Académie Internationale d’Été de Nice (France), Casals Festival (Puerto Rico), Culturarte (Puerto Rico), Francisco Viñas International Voice Competition (Barcelona), and Operalia, Plácido Domingo’s World Opera Competition.

As a collaborative pianist, Mr. Meléndez is known for his colorful and sensitive playing, as well as his innovative programming. He has enjoyed a partnership with mezzo-soprano Maya Hoover for over 20 years. They are known for their programs of all Latin American art songs and for their carefully crafted recitals featuring lesser-known repertoire, which often include new arrangements written by Mr. Meléndez. Mr. Meléndez is a frequent guest artist at the University of Hawaii, where he has presented master classes on the art of collaboration and has played for several seasons on the Music at Mãnoa concert series. He has served on the faculty of the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and in the summer of 2014, he joined the Music Staff of Seagle Festival as a Coach for their Young Artist Studio. For the past two seasons, he has served as vocal coach and répétiteur for the Princeton Festival opera productions of Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Così fan tutte.

In the early stages of his career, José Meléndez had the extreme privilege of working alongside and being mentored by such internationally renowned artists as Justino Díaz, Placido Domingo, Pablo Elvira, Denyce Graves, Alfredo Kraus, Tom Krause, Victoria Livengood, Patrice Munsel, Charlie Ricker, Renata Scotto, and Diana Soviero. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from the Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico and a Master of Music degree in Piano Accompanying and Coaching from Westminster Choir College of Rider University, where he studied with Dalton Baldwin, José Ramos Santana, and J.J. Penna.