Joseph N. Rubinstein was born in Cleveland, OH, and spent his childhood there and in Newport News, VA. He currently lives in New York City. His music emphasizes emotional directness and vivid storytelling, and often engages with questions about identity, interpersonal relationships, and the American experience.

His music has been presented by organizations and individuals including Fort Worth Opera Festival, The Manhattan School of Music Opera Theater, Triad: The Boston Choral Collective, American Opera Projects, The Holy Cross Chamber Singers, The Secret Opera, bass-baritone Matthew Burns at the Spoleto Festival USA, Boston Metro Opera, C4, and the Young New Yorker’s Chorus.

He along with librettist Jason Kim are the recipients of a 2017 Opera Genesis Grant from American Opera Projects and The Hermitage Artist Colony for further developmental work on their opera “Legendary”, as well as a 2020 Repertoire Development Grant from Opera America for the same project.

Select choral works are available through See-A-Dot music publishing, and his 2009 choral piece “How She Went to Ireland” has been recorded by the C4 Ensemble on 4Tay Records. He studied music at Columbia University (BA) and The Juilliard School (MM). He is an alumnus of the Pacific Chorale’s Choral Sketches program, New Dramatists’ Composer-Librettist Studio, and American Opera Projects’ Composers & the Voice program.

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