Biography   Biography -- Printer Friendly Word Format: Page opens in new window Acclaimed stage director, Joseph Bascetta, is recognized for his high artistic standards and insightful direction and is continually gaining notoriety for his productions. His 2004-2005 season included Tosca, for the Shanghai Grand Opera for the opening of the Shanghai Oriental Arts Center in Podong Shanghai. Mr. Bascetta’s 2005-2006 season will include, Aida for Opera Columbus, and La Boheme for The Astra Theater in Malta. Then on to Fresno grand opera for Merry Widow, Mobile Opera for La Boheme, and returning to Fresno Grand Opera for Otello. International career highlights include an outdoor extravaganza of Turandot for the renowned Pula Opera Festival in Croatia, a production that received much acclaim and was televised nationally. In addition, Mr. Bascetta directed Otello for the prestigious Taipei Music Festival at the National Theatre in Taipei, Taiwan, and a captivating production of La Sonnambula with world famous bass, Bonaldo Giaiotti at the Festival de Opera in Tenerife, Spain. A frequent guest of Asia’s leading opera festivals, Mr. Bascetta debuted with the Singapore Lyric Theatre directing Faust, debuted in Seoul Korea at the Kim Cha Kyung Opera where he was invited to stage an outdoor spectacular of Carmen in Seoul’s Olympic Park which was televised throughout Korea, directed Rigoletto for the National Theater of Taipei, and directed Cavalleria Rusticana in Shanghai, China at the new international Opera House. Mr Bascetta also made his debut in Malta as artistic advisor as well as stage director for Macbeth, and subsequently returned to Malta as artistic advisor and stage director for productions of Rigoletto, Aida, and La Gioconda with star Ghena Dimetrova. In 1999 he helped start the new Fresno Grand Opera and soon became its Artistic Director. He directed the company’s first production of Madama Butterfly with Maria Spacagna. He has gone on to direct productions of Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Rigoletto, and most recently Tosca and La Traviata with Fresno Opera. Other engagements include La Cenerentola for Providence Opera, Die Fledermaus, Carmen and an Opera Gala Concert for Fresno Opera, Madama Butterfly and Tosca for Mississippi Opera, Un Ballo in Maschera at the Astra Theater in Malta, Die Fledermaus for Gold Coast Opera, and Tosca for Providence Opera and Boston Academy of Music, La Bohème for Opera Lyra in Ottawa and Madama Butterfly for Providence Opera. Additional opera companies he has worked with include Berkshire Opera, Buffalo Opera, Capital Artistic Opera, Chicago Opera Theatre, Cincinnati Opera, Connecticut Grand Opera, Dayton Opera, Hawaii Opera Theatre, Jefferson Performing Arts Society of New Orleans, Michigan Opera Theatre, New York Shakespeare Company, Ontario Opera, Palm Beach Opera, Pensacola Opera, Pittsburgh Opera Theatre, Saskatoon Opera, the Shubert New Haven Opera, the Singapore Lyric Theatre, the Taipei Music Festival in Taiwan, the Tenerife Opera Festival in Spain, Toledo Opera, Virginia Opera, and Washington Lyric Opera. Mr. Bascetta received great acclaim for his production of Porgy & Bess at Toledo Opera, where he has also directed Carmen, Gianni Schicchi, and Il Barbiere di Siviglia. At Hawaii Opera Theatre, he has directed an insightful production of La Traviata, a spectacular Turandot, Aida, and La Bohème. Other productions include Aida for the Buffalo Opera commemorating their tenth anniversary season, Turandot for Tulsa Opera, Madama Butterfly for Mississippi Opera, Faust for the Connecticut Opera Association with Justino Diaz, Madama Butterfly for Virginia Opera and La Bohème and Faust for Dayton Opera. Mr. Bascetta began his career in New York City where he received the coveted Show Business Award for Best Director of the Year for his direction of Floyd’s Susannah and Ward’s The Crucible. His background includes training with the Royal Shakespeare Company of London, dance and performance training in vocal and choral technique, experience as a music educator, and intensive study of Stanislavsky acting technique with Stella Adler. Mr. Bascetta has studied with renowned Opera Director Frank Corsaro and established the Opera Studio of New York for the purpose of bringing the acting values of Stanislavsky and Actors Studio to Opera. Additional international credits include American representative and acting teacher for the International Opera School of the Societa dei Concerti in Santa Margherita Ligure, Italy and the acting teacher for A.I.M.S. in Graz, Austria. Mr. Bascetta has been the Artistic Director of the Berkshire Opera, the Ontario Opera, and the Capital Artistic Opera Company, and is now Artistic Director of Fresno Grand Opera.