ABOUT JOAN
As a child, Joan Sapiro began piano and trumpet studies with her father, Erwin Sapiro (Eastman School of Music master’s degree graduate in education and trumpet.) Progressing on the trumpet, Joan performed with the New Haven (CT) Youth Orchestra and attended a summer workshop at the Eastman School of Music. It was there that the high school musician’s passion for vocal music began, when participation in a madrigal ensemble sparked a new flame. With her parents’ encouragement, Joan decided to pursue voice rather than trumpet performance, and was accepted to Eastman. Through the recommendation of new music diva Jan DeGaetani, Joan premiered many new works by composers such as Samuel Adler, the late Stephen Albert, Allan Schindler and Richard Wernick. She also continued to pursue her love of early vocal music as a member of the Collegium Musicuum, under the tutelage of lutenist Paul O’Dette. At Eastman, Joan met fellow student Jeff Beal, and the two were married after Joan’s graduation with a Bachelor of Music degree in 1984.

Moving with Jeff to New York City, Joan’s musicality and sight reading abilities got her work with many professional vocal ensembles- including Musica Sacra and the New York Philharmonic Chorus. She was soloist with Music Viva, and performed with the group in Merkin Hall. Joan appeared as a soloist with the New York Philharmonic in a performance of scenes from Carmen, broadcast live from Central Park on the ABC network. To gain auditioning experience, she sang for the San Francisco Opera, and was one of two singers from New York City offered a contract. Moving to San Francisco, Joan worked with the company for six seasons, performing as chorister, cover, and comprimario- in over fifty productions. She also was a frequent guest artist with the new music ensembles Composers, Inc., Earplay and the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players. It was in San Francisco that Joan began studio singing, as a soloist for national commercials for clients such as Mazda and Peter Pan Peanut Butter (singing Carmen’s Habenera!) She also appeared on Jeff Beal’s solo jazz albums, adding wordless vocals.

When Jeff and Joan decided to move yet again, to pursue Jeff’s career in film music, it was essential that they relocate to Los Angeles. In 1992, Joan sent out her vocal demo and resume, and within two months of living in LA, was singing with A list studio singers on the vocal session for Free Willy. Joan has since sung on over 50 film scores for composers including John Williams, David Newman, James Newton Howard, Don Davis and James Horner. She began working with composer Mark Isham after his conductor and orchestrator, Ken Kugler, heard Joan sing and recommended her as a vocal contractor. This collaboration with Mark Isham has included contracting choruses for his films The Net, Blade, At First Sight, Don’t Say a Word, and Highwaymen. Joan has appeared as vocal soloist on many television series, including Carnivale, Nothing Sacred, EZ Streets, Family Law and The Agency.

Her CD recordings include the duo CD with Jeff Beal, The Gathering, featuring Jeff’s compositions and Joan’s wordless vocals, and solos on Jeff’s CDs Contemplations, Perpetual Motion and Liberation. Joan also contracted the choir for the French group Air’s CD 10,000 hz Legend. Her national commercials include IBM, GM, Intel, Mazda, Peter Pan.
Her on camera singing work has included appearances in the film Face/ Off, and the television programs Ally McBeal, Nothing Sacred, and Days of Our Lives. She was also seen in the Oscar-winning documentary In the Shadow the Stars, made about the San Francisco Opera Company. She appeared in two PBS televised operas with San Francisco - La Boheme and Mephistopheles.

Joan continues to work with composers in the contemporary music scene in LA, having performed the concert music of Daniel Lentz, Donald Crockett, Jeff Beal, James Newton and collaborating with several students and professors at USC and CalArts.