The Staten Island Community Chorale
Our Leadership
Joseph Cascio
Founder and Managing Director
Joe was privately trained by renowned vocal intsructors John A. Harris and Andy Thomas Anselmo
of the Singer's Forum Foundation. With a professional singing career spanning over 20 years,
Joe Cascio has performed in off-Broadway productions and has made numerous nationwide guest
appearances. Joe's career in writing music began nearly ten years ago, with coaching by
accomplished musician Marc Puricelli. Joe's first CD,
"Starting Over - Circle Drive," was
released in 1997.
Joe's vision of creating an ensemble of community performers has become a reality. The Staten
Island Community Chorale is dedicated to bringing a diverse group of people together to create
an art culture distinctly different from the rest of New York City.
Marc Puricelli
Concert Master
Marc Puricelli has performed and recorded with Chet Baker, Maceo Parker, Kevin Eubanks,
Sonny Fortune, Phil Woods and Jack Wilkins, and was Musical Director for vocalists Esther
Satterfield and Jean Carne. He has produced albums for CBS/Sony, MusicMasters/BMG, PAO and Higher
Octave Records.
Along with soundtracks for several films, he has written and arranged for Jan DeGaetani and
Gilbert Kalish, Vanessa Rubin, and The Turtle Island String Quartet. He recently appeared
as a guest soloist with the Springfield (MA) Symphony Orchestra and was a guest on Marian
McPartland's "Piano Jazz" on National Public Radio. "DESIRE," his fourth album of original compositions for
MusicMasters/Jazz Heritage, was released in December 1999.
Mia DiMario
Choir Director
Mia DiMario currently sings full-time with the New York City Opera, and has a private voice
and piano studio at her home. She has sung with Opera Nova in Manhattan, Regina Opera in
Brooklyn, and Baton Rouge Opera in Louisiana. She has won many awards both in opera and art
song. Currently, she is working on recording a CD of "contemporary" hymns and spiritual songs
with Marc Puricelli as arranger and producer. She hopes to promote her CD and perform concerts
in the New York and New Jersey area.
Michael Sirotta
Choir Director
Michael Sirotta has composed, directed, and performed music at
concerts and theatrical productions around the globe.
He was musical director for Elizabeth Swados' THE BEAUTIFUL LADY, which won the 1985 Helen Hayes Award for Best Play with music, and was co-musical director for Ms. Swados' DEFIANCE, a cantata honoring heroes of the Jewish resistance during the holocaust (performed at the National Holocaust Museum in Washington DC.). Mr Sirotta served as collaborative vocal arranger for Ms. Swados' new opera, MISSIONARIES which premiered at the Brooklyn Academy of Music's 1997 Next Wave Festival.
For 15 years Mr. Sirotta has been the musical director and administrator for the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation's Kids on Stage program on Staten Island. He has arranged or composed all the music for Kids on Stage shows, which have included opera, operetta, musical comedy, and musical revues. For his work with this program, he was named winner of this year's Arts and Humanities award, presented by the Council Of The Arts & Humanities of Staten Island.
Back to Home Page