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Joseph Nocella

Joseph Nocella is a Composer and Pianist in Philadelphia

About Me

JOSEPH NOCELLA - Philadelphia based composer/pianist studied composition with Romeo Cascarino and received his Master of Music degree at Temple University. He studied piano with Temple Painter, Tom Lawton and jazz improvisation with Al Stauffer. His music has been performed by numerous organizations including Philadelphia Concerto Soloists, Rowan Jazz festival with the 2001 Orchestra with Dennis DiBlasio as soloist, Pennsylvania Music Teachers Assoc. with Tom Lawton soloist and Composer Services with Jimmy Bruno and Ron Nocella as Soloists. He received a commissions from the Franklin Institute to write music for a film documentary “The Story So Far” as part of a permanent exhibit and “The African Mariner” for Violin, Piano, Bass, Percussion and Narrators commissioned by the Independence Seaport Museum with Diane Monroe on violin. In April 2003, Delaware County Community College hosted a Retrospective of the music of Joseph Nocella and also received their “Teacher of Excellence” award in 2005. The fall of 2008 brought a commission from Director Stephen Smith to create music to set and accompany a DCCC production of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” and in 2013 incidental music for the production of Shakespeare’s “Love’s Labour’s Lost. He also had the N.J.Tri- County-Symphonic Band commission the premiere of his symphonic poem “Pompeii”. His music has been broadcasted on National Public Radio and he has twice been a guest on WRTI’s “CROSSOVER” show with Jill Pasternak and Jack Berkel and recently was a featured guest on internationally broadcasted Radio Italia. Mr. Nocella has been reviewed by the Philadelphia Inquirer, The Daily News, The Atlantic City Press, Delaware County Times, Penn Sounds, Composer USA, 21st Century Music and the All About Jazz web site. In April 2015, his latest compositional commission, a work called “Raga for the Late Afternoon” for sitar and guitar had its premiere at Penn State University Brandywine campus with a repeat performance at Delaware Community College. Most recently, Twelfth Night with songs and underscoring had a revival with Hedgerow Theater and Delaware County Community College on 3 stages throughout the summer of 2022.