Joseph Toto is an American classical composer, arranger, and pianist from Monmouth County, New Jersey. He began studying piano at the age of eight and quickly developed a deep passion for music. Just one year later, he gave his first public recital, earning recognition for “Best Performance.”
As a pianist, Joseph has cultivated an extensive and diverse repertoire spanning numerous composers and stylistic periods. He has performed at venues across New Jersey and New York, including Steinway Hall and the Brookdale Performing Arts Center, and was recently featured by Ted-Ex as a guest musician. Joseph feels a strong affiliation with mystical and narrative driven works which reflects his artistic style.
Joseph views music as far more than sound alone—it is a powerful conduit for emotional and sensory experience. While music is primarily heard, its deeper resonance lies in its capacity to evoke memory, imagination, and subconscious emotion. His artistic vision centers on transporting audiences into immersive inner landscapes shaped not just by what they hear, but by the personal associations those sounds awaken.
As a contemporary classical composer, Joseph’s work is strongly influenced by mythology—especially themes of death, rebirth, and transformation. These archetypal narratives serve as a lens through which he explores the human condition. His music has been inspired by composers such as Scriabin, Rachmaninoff, and Liszt, whose works reflect intensity, mysticism, and profound vulnerability. Joseph seeks to create music that is at once visceral and transcendent—deeply intimate, yet universally resonant.
In pursuit of a truly multisensory listening experience, Joseph avoids pairing his music with literal visual or narrative elements. He believes that doing so risks narrowing the listener’s imaginative scope. Instead, he aims to evoke involuntary memories and emotional responses—those fleeting, subconscious sensations that arise from texture, harmony, and atmosphere. His compositional approach invites listeners to engage with their own inner worlds, free from prescriptive interpretation.
His hope is that through careful craftsmanship and honest expression, his compositions might serve as vessels for others to encounter parts of themselves they didn’t know were waiting to be heard.
Joseph’s long-term artistic vision includes premiering original works with prestigious ensembles and orchestras around the world, and one day presenting a program of his compositions at venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Elbphilharmonie, and even the Sydney Opera House. He aspires to earn a Doctorate of Musical Arts, not only to deepen his compositional voice but also to contribute to the next generation of musicians through teaching at the college and conservatory level. He believes in nurturing curiosity, expression, and individual vision—values he hopes to pass on through both his work and mentorship.
Joseph has studied with several distinguished musicians, including SunHwa Kim (doctoral candidate at the Manhattan School of Music), Jee Won Kim (doctoral candidate at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music), Professor John Balme (conductor, opera manager and pianist), and Dr. Cory Hall (founder of The Well-Rounded Pianist and BachScholar websites). Over the past three years, he has composed a portfolio of more than 50 original works.
He is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Classical Composition at the Manhattan School of Music, where he studies under Dr. Reiko Füting.
