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B Mus.Ed (Hons) – Sydney Conservatorium of Music
Joe Giuseppe Accaria graduated in 1993 from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music with an Honours degree in Music and Education, majoring in contemporary and orchestral percussion under the tutelage of Rebecca Lagos, Graeme Leak, Darryl Pratt and has since worked extensively worldwide as a musician, composer, music producer and music director.
In 1994, Joe began touring with multi Aria award winning artist Wendy Matthews and the legendary Joe Cocker throughout Australia. His own original projects, namely The Strange and Cactus Child received radio airplay and chart recognition. Subsequent tours with Skunkhour and Jamiroquai, plus 3 European tours and albums with Floyd Vincent & the Childbrides followed.
In 1997-2001, Joe featured in Dein Perry’s Steel City, with music by Tim Finn. The show toured Australia and culminated in performances at New York’s Radio City Music Hall. Joe also performed in, and co-composed Eternity, Dein’s contribution to the Sydney 2000 Olympic Opening Ceremony. His individual compositions for Bledisloe Cup, Tri Nations and Lions Tour Rugby Events were a feature of that period in his career.
In 2002, Joe joined platinum selling vocal group Human Nature touring Australia & Asia and began a partnership with the multi award winning singer David Campbell. Joe also travelled to Cuba to study with some of that country’s finest percussionists and musicians, including members of the Afro-Cuban All Stars as well as respected drummers Clyde Stubblefield (James Brown) and Dennis Chambers (Santana) in the USA & London.
In 2005-2006 Joe worked on Dein Perry’s Tap Dogs 10th Anniversary World Tour in Australia, Europe, Africa, Asia and the USA, as both a performer and musical director.
In 2006-2008, Joe’s collaboration with Dein Perry continued with David Campbell’s Wild With Style at the Sydney Opera House, Human Nature’s Motown Arena Spectacular Tour as well as composing and performing for Tap Dogs performances at Australia Day and World Youth Day events, NRL Grand Final and fusion dance troupe The Next Step. Joe and Dein also oversaw the creation of the Rabbitohs Drum Squad for the South Sydney Rugby League team owned by Russell Crowe. Joe also featured in the band for ABC TV’s The Sideshow.
Smoke & Mirrors, directed by Craig Ilott, received three Helpmann Awards in 2010 for Best New Australian Work, Best Cabaret Performer (iOTA) with Joe co-receiving the award for Best Original Score with iOTA, Tina Harris, Martin Hailey and Chris Ball. They returned to the Spiegeltent for the 2011 Sydney Festival as well as seasons at the Melbourne Arts Centre, Auckland Arts Festival and the Seymour Centre, Sydney.
The following year saw Joe performing in David Campbell’s Broadway & Beyond Tour as well as featuring in premiere works at The Adelaide Cabaret Festival including When I Was Young I Listened To The Radio with Carrie Rawlings (UK), Josie In The Bath-house with Josie Lane, Back On Crack with Lisa Adam as Amy Housewife culminating in Joe’s first journey to South America under the guidance of members from Bolivia’s Teatro de los Andes.
Joe was also in the studio recording David Campbell’s forthcoming album Let’s Go, released in November 2011 and touring nationally throughout 2012. Joe was delighted to be invited to carry out the role of Musical Director for the Lord Mayor’s New Year’s Eve celebrations as well as the world premiere of iOTA’s Young, Hard & Solo at The Sydney Opera House for the 2012 Sydney Festival and composing music for the A-League Football Grand Final. In the ensuing months, Joe co-produced (with Marty Hailey) EPs for The Jeans and the emerging Bobby Fox, known for playing the role of Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys. Tap Dogs continued with tours in France, Italy, Asia, Australia and the USA.
Immediately, 2013 began with Joe being enlisted to join Australian rock legend Jimmy Barnes on his Red Hot Summer Tour across Australia with luminaries such as Ian Moss and the Baby Animals. This was followed by the premiere tour of Bobby Fox’s Four Seasons in One Night featuring Joe’s arrangements and musical direction, chronicling Bobby’s journey with Jersey Boys and his personal relationship with Frankie Valli.
Closing out 2013 performances included: Mornings with David Campbell, the Emeralds and Ivy Balls with Ronan Keating, Human Nature’s Christmas Tour, the Pleasurehouse tour with Jimmy Barnes and music direction for the 2013 NRL Grand Final and New Year’s Eve Celebrations for the Lord Mayor’s Party at the Opera House.
Early 2014 saw Joe performing in Sweet Charity at the newly refurbished Hayes Theatre Co in Sydney, composition for the NRL Season Launch in Sydney, the AFC (Asian Football Championship) Draw at the Sydney Opera House and TV performances with entertainer Robbie Williams. Tap Dogs continued with seasons in Paris and Dubai and Joe performs with singer Anthony Warlow joined by Tony Award winner Faith Prince.
Joe then began work on the early conceptualisation stages of his new, all-girl percussion stage show – DrummerQueens – writing with Director, Nigel Turner-Carroll and 2015 be-gins with work as Music Director, Music producer (with Nik Pringadi) and performer in Velvet – a new variety, cabaret disco circus show Directed and created by Craig Ilott fea-turing Marcia Hines and Brendan Maclean. Velvet completed its first sell out season at the Adelaide Fringe Festival taking out the BANKSA award for ‘Pick of the Fringe’ and the Ad-vertiser ‘Best of the Fringe’ 2015. Velvet continued with seasons at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Brisbane Festival and Sydney Opera House. Joe also carried out the role of Musi-cal Director and performer on Human Nature’s Jukebox Tour nationally as well as the June world premiere of B-Girl – devised and written by iOTA and Craig Ilott featuring iO-TA at the Sydney Opera House.
Joe also officially launched the new Roland TD-25 V-Drums @ Australia’s Ultimate Drummers Weekend in Melbourne with a premiere performance with DrummerQueens.
Velvet began 2016 with a sold out return season at the Adelaide Fringe winning two further awards: The Advertiser ‘Best Return Season’ 2016 and The Sunday Mail ‘Best Cabaret’ 2016 and continued with seasons at Melbourne’s Malthouse Theatre and QPAC in Brisbane. During this time Joe and studio collaborator Nik Pringadi began work on music for a new show featuring Marcia Hines – Disco Inferno touring throughout Australia for the remainder of 2016 featuring with a reworking of some of Marcia’s timeless classic songs.
Joe then began work on Dream Lover featuring long time collaborator and friend David Campbell. Recording on an album commenced then the World Premiere at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre. Dream Lover, a new Australian musical played to sold out audiences through October and November and chronicled the life and music of singer Bobby Darin.
In October 2016 the Velvet – Original Cast Recording produced by Joe & Nik Pringadi was nominated for an ARIA Award in the Best Original Soundtrack/Cast/Show Album category.
In December auditions and rehearsals began for the Velvet tour of 2017. The show would travel across 13 cities in Australia and New Zealand in 2017 over 10 months including premiere performances at The Perth Fringe Festival, the 10 Days on the Island Festival in Hobart, the Canberra Theatre, Taranaki Arts Festival in NZ, Spiegeltent seasons in Wollongong, Newcastle as well as return seasons in Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne.
The cast of Velvet would perform the closing number at the 2017 the Helpmann Awards. Joe was also chosen as Music Director for the City of Sydney Christmas Concert, Fireworks & Tree Lighting at Martin Place along side Christine Anu & Kate Miller-Heidke, performed again in Dream Lover @ the Arts Centre Melbourne, musical director for the 2018 Premier’s Concerts and announced as Musical Director for the Hayes Theatre production of Gypsy in 2018 produced by One Eyed Man & Luckiest Productions in association with Hayes Theatre Company. After an eight week season Joe was then engaged as Musical Director for the NSW Premier’s Concerts at Sydney’s ICC Arena. Later in 2018 Velvet began its journey to Tampa, Florida as the new production show on Norwegian Cruise Line ship The Jewel which continues in the Stardust Theatre travelling the world. In December 2018, the creative team behind Velvet was commissioned to create a new work for the 2019 Sydney Festival. The result was Pigalle starring Marcia Hines, iOTA & Bangarra Dance Theatre’s Waangenga Blanco completed a sell-out season in the festival’s Magic Mirrors Spiegeltent. Velvet is announced on the Norwegian Breakaway to premier in Miami from May onward as well as a season at the Hansa Theatre in Hamburg and the Adelaide Fringe Festival 2020.
Joe’s acting debut in music theatre came in Darlinghurst Theatre’s 2019 production of Once; with sold out performances through June/July at The Eternity Playhouse as well as Wollongong’s Merrigong Theatre Company season @ Illawarra Performing Arts Centre.
Joe & David Campbell record a new album Back In The Swing and immediately climbs the charts. The show is set tour Australia in October and will also premiere with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in opening Western Sydney’s new Coliseum Concert venue.
2020 began with the unveiling of Velvet Rewired, Velvet, reimagined for the Adelaide Fringe Festival and workshops for Drummer Queens which have culminated in the World Premiere announcement of the stage show version at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre in 2021 as well as seasons in Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre and Brisbane’s Lyric Theatre. Drummer Queens plans to tour Australian capital and regional cities throughout 2021 and the world beyond.
The year ended with Joe producing a new album for long time collaborator and friend David Campbell for Sony Music Australia, The Saturday Sessions, recorded and mixed by ARIA Award winner and Grammy nominated engineer Adrian Breakspear. Joe also pro-duced the concept album for the Hayes Theatre’s new musical Dubbo Championship Wrestling with musical director and collaborator Glenn Moorhouse. The album features performances by David Campbell, Lucy Durack and Eddie Perfect. The musical is set to premiere at the Hayes Theatre in 2021 written by brothers Daniel & James Cullen and directed by Sheridan Harbridge. Joe is music supervisor. In July Joe begins work on producing a new album for Marcia Hines: The Gospel According To Marcia featuring reimagined versions of Marcia’s favourite Gospel classics.
Velvet Rewired begins a 6 month tour around Australia beginning with a return to the Sydney Opera House in October/November where the show was first celebrated with a sell-out season in 2015 that catapulted Velvet to its success around the globe. Velvet is to celebrate its long awaited premiere in Germany at Hamburg’s Hansa Theatre in 2022.
Whilst a filmed performance of Drummer Queens from the Lyric Theatre Brisbane is to be released worldwide on theatre streaming platforms, Joe has been recently appointed Music Director for Sydney’s 2022 Elevate Festival. Elevate showcases generations of Australian talent over several nights with performances on Sydney’s famous Cahill Expressway which celebrates the re-opening of Sydney’s vast and important live entertainment industries.
Velvet Rewired begins a 6 month tour around Australia beginning with a return to the Sydney Opera House in January/February 2023 where the show was first celebrated with a sell-out season in 2015 that catapulted Velvet to its success around the globe.
Joe was honoured to be asked to musically direct a new live project ARETHA celebrating the life and music of the inimitable Aretha Franklin. With live narration by first nations writer, actor, director Jada Alberts, ARETHA featured vocal performances from Montaigne, Thndo, Thandi Phoenix, Ursula Yovich and Emma Donovan with concerts at The Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, Hamer Hall Melbourne and the Brisbane Concert Hall.
With Marcia Hines preparing for her national 5oth Anniversary Still Shining Tour the finishing touches are made on The Gospel According To Marcia for release through ABC music in November, 2023. David Campbell & Joe reunite for Good Lovin’ shows October/November.
2024 continues with Joe & David Campbell reigniting the Good Lovin’ material for some much anticipated live shows. Joined by Mahalia Barnes the performances are to continue through the year. ARETHA premiers in the west for the Joondalup Arts Festival in February with Joe adding the talents of Mahalia Barnes & Karen Lee Andrews to the already impressive list of vocalists. VELVET features in Hamburg’s Hansa Theatre for a third consecutive season.
In May Joe begins work as producer on a debut album for Human Nature’s Phil Burton titled The Sweet Soul Sessions and The Gospel According To Marcia will receive an injection of much loved Christmas classics to accompany the impressive 2023 album release.
Joe through Repercussions Productions composes for the 2024 State Of Origin.
Sonor Drums, UFIP Cymbals, through Drum Partner Australia, Roland Electronic Percussion and Keyboards through Roland Australia & Roland US, Remo Drumheads through Australasian Music Supplies, Vic Firth Sticks through Dynamic Music Aus, LP (Latin Percussion) through D’Addario Australia all exclusively endorse Joe Accaria.
