Joseph W. Santaniello

Joseph W. Santaniello is a NATS-certified voice teacher specializing in both classical and musical theatre repertoire and technique. Students reign from Fairfield County, CT and the Greater NY tri-state area. Santaniello's students have been accepted to some of the top music conservatories nationally for vocal performance and musical theatre such as the Juilliard School, Eastman School of Music, Carnegie Mellon School of Music, Oberlin Conservatory, Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Manhattan School of Music, and Rider University. Others have placed in multiple vocal competitions as finalists nationally and have been cast in many regional and community theatre productions as leading players. Santaniello was a masterclass presenter & second round judge at the CS Music Convention 2026. In addition, he started an international summer program in Berlin (RSPA SAI 2026) this past summer, culminating in a scenes program with young artists ranging from the ages of 16-22.

No stranger to the stage, Santaniello completed his training at the Boston Conservatory in Voice and Opera under baritone Victor Jannett. Santaniello has performed in many operas and shows professionally including Peter in Hansel and Gretel, Dr. Falke in Die Fledermaus, Elviro in Serse, Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance, Guiseppe in Gondoliers, Lorrenzo in Capuletti e i Montecchi, and Brutus/Lucius in Cleopatra, a Life Unparalleled Off-Broadway as part of the Midtown International Theatre Festival in NYC to name a few.

In addition to teaching voice and singing professionally, Santaniello has directed over 120 stage productions. He currently serves as the Program Director of Rising Stars Performing Arts in Norwalk, CT. Previously, Joe led the after-school Drama Department at Ridgefield Academy for eight years, and was head of the Drama Department at Our Lady of Fatima School in Wilton, CT.