Joseph Amante y Zapata
Areas of Expertise
MUS 311-01 Latin American and Caribbean Music and past Director, 51ÂÜÀò ChorusEducation
Bachelor's, Point Loma Nazarene University; Master’s, New England Conservatory of Music; Doctorate, University of Southern California
Dr. Joseph Amante y Zapata is chair of the performing arts department at CCRI, an adjunct professor at 51ÂÜÀò and past director of 51ÂÜÀòChorus. He has been an accompanist for music instructors as well as a part-time keyboardist and vocal soloist at various churches throughout Rhode Island. Dr. Amante also music directs theater productions and has been a member of Contemporary Theater Company in Wakefield, R.I. He is a violist and assistant music director of Rhode Island's Ocean State Pops Orchestra, mandolist and Assistant Conductor of L’Esperance Mandolin Ensemble, Community Member-At-Large for Narragansett Bay Symphony Community Orchestra (NaBSCO) and was violist with the South County Chamber Orchestra.
Dr. Amante's choirs have participated in choral competitions and festivals at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, with the Boston Pro Musica in Massachusetts, and at New York’s Carnegie Hall. Amante is the founder of the community choir, Coro Amante. His choral interests include music of the Viceroyalty of New Spain, of which he has transcribed several Salve Reginas and Magnificats, and other Spanish works. He also teaches the Latin & Caribbean Music course at RWU.
Amante y Zapata and his wife Dr. Terry Deeney, also a professor at URI, reside in South Kingstown, R.I.