Chances are, if you’ve been to a choral concert, a cocktail reception with music or a cabaret show in the area, you’ve heard pianist Joe Rose. Highly accomplished at just about any genres of music, he’s the accompanist for several choral groups and directs three choirs as music director of St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Pittsfield, and performs regularly with cabaret, jazz and pop acts. Originally from Rhode Island, he followed his brother’s relocation to the Berkshires…but it wasn’t his brother who convinced him to stay.
My brother moved up here from Providence to take a job in Pittsfield, where he met the woman he married. I came to the wedding and was sort of set up with their friend — and it worked. I was overwhelmed with the beauty of Lori and the beauty of the Berkshires. I went back to Rhode Island and said, 'that’s it, I’m packing up.' We got married in 2000 and live in West Stockbridge, where Lori is a real estate agent for Stone House Properties. When I first moved here, I couldn’t seem to find a way to play with other musicians. But I had done some church work in Providence, and got the position of music director at St. Charles Church, which gave me a foundation and steady paycheck. Then I auditioned for the accompanist position when Robert Blafield was conducting the Berkshire Lyric Theater (now called Berkshire Lyric), and got that — another solid job. From there I made a lot of contacts and have been playing steadily ever since. Besides those jobs, I serve as music director of high school theatrical productions, and play in a rock band with Jordan Weller and the Feathers, a soul/funk/reggae band. Jordan’s family owns the Gypsy Joynt Café so we often play there. I also perform at Castle Street Café a few times a year and at other jazz and pop gigs. Plus I teach a course on music recording at Berkshire Community College. Lori and I spend a lot of time outdoors — she hikes every day, and I’m on my bike. Tanglewood is a constant thing, and we’ve been enjoying the music at Chesterfest on the grounds of Chesterwood. In the fall I have to learn a lot of music for the choruses, so even though I’m busy in the summer I’m able to push my own boundaries musically until it’s time to go back to “work."
