Joseph Welch’s musical versatility and supportive collaborative spirit have made him a highly valued pianist, coach, and teacher.  A sensitive collaborator, Welch has a thriving career in the vocal arts.  He trains young singers through the Opera Theatre of St. Louis Artists-in-Training program and performs in concert with Opera Edwardsville.  As a choral accompanist, he plays for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra’s IN UNISON Chorus.  Other recent choral accompanying credits include the SLSO’s Holiday Festival Chorus and St. Louis Children’s Choirs’ Young Men’s Chorus.  Since 2019, Welch has served as Assistant Music Director for Variety Theatre, a one-of-a-kind musical theatre company featuring an inclusive children’s ensemble.  Additionally, he is the founder and artistic director of St. Louis Art Song.

 

Welch serves as Professor of Music at Blackburn College, where he wrote the curriculum for a new B.A. in Music.  The course of instruction is artist-centric and prepares pianists and singers to launch their performing careers.  The foundation of the curriculum is rooted in Welch’s doctoral project, “Collaborative Piano in Higher Education”.  The concepts have been presented in both workshop and presentation form as “The Business of Being a Pianist”, which Welch has shared with the Illinois State Music Teachers Association and local chapters of the MTNA.

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Welch was a 2021 Intern with the National Association of Teachers of Singing.  He has been named Gateway Arch East (ISMTA) Member of the Year and Adjunct Instructor of the Year at Blackburn College.  Continuing an active presence in the communities he grew up in, Welch serves on the boards of Southern Illinois Young Artist Organization and Bunker Hill Education Foundation.