Joe Cerutti of Alexandria, Virginia, has joined the music education team of the Barbershop Harmony Society overseeing Youth in Harmony and chorus director development activities.
“Joe makes things happen,” said Society CEO Marty Monson. “He’s a shining example of the way that immersion in the barbershop world at a young age can transform a man’s life. His background as a college-age barbershop singer has launched a music career filled with bringing this joy to thousands of men and women of all ages. As part of our music education team, we will count on him to innovate ways to involve singers, educators and communities in making the music that is making a difference.”
Cerutti will oversee a crucial portfolio of Society activities, including:
- Collegiate Barbershop Quartet Contest
- International Youth Chorus Festival
- Youth Harmony Camps and Harmony Explosion Camps
- Music educator outreach
- Chorus director development
“These activities are dead square in the center of Joe’s experience,” said Monson, “Especially in the ways they involve music professionals outside the barbershop world. Joe will make a great ambassador and professional bridge to educators trying to sustain and expand vocal music for young singers. He has the professional depth, the track record, and the contagious enthusiasm that draws people to become part of some great musical experiences.”
Cerutti’s most visible roles have been as Musical Director of the international medalist Alexandria Harmonizers men’s barbershop chorus and the Pride of Baltimore women’s chorus of Sweet Adelines International. He is primary clinician and president of the No Borders Musical Consort concert series at Carnegie Hall, which gathers young singers from around the world to sing with barbershop idols in the renowned New York City concert hall.
Cerutti has served in numerous national education and leadership positions in the Barbershop Harmony Society, including being the youngest man ever elected to the Society Board of Directors and the youngest man ever to achieve the Master Director certification. He was a primary author and editor of the Society’s 2013 book Visions of Excellence, which gathers together thoughts and insights from 25 of the Society's most accomplished directors.
Cerutti holds a bachelor's degree in Music Education from Five Towns College and a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from Boston University, where he studied under Ann Howard Jones, Jamison Marvin, and Joseph Flummerfelt. While in Boston, Joe taught high school music at South Boston's Monument High School, while conducting the concert chorus and women's chorale at Boston University. His professional memberships and accreditations include ACDA, NAfME, and ChorusAmerica. He will primarily reside and work in Alexandria, Va. and will continue in all his other roles.