Biography

I love my career but
I love my life more.

Get to know who I am outside of my accomplishments.

My name is Josaphat Contreras and I am a first-generation Mexican American born in Brooklyn and was raised by a single mother, an immigrant from Mexico. My siblings and I enjoyed countless communal celebrations, filled with authentic food, and traditions only seen in Mexico. We broke piñatas, ate pan dulce, and grew up with vibrant music that to this day, I have song lyrics memorized that I learned in my childhood. I was the “singer” in my family. I would sing in the car, at family gatherings, and simply put, the music of my childhood was my first love. It was all Mexican music all day every day; this music is what taught me to speak. The music, this language, was the foundation for what was to come.

Around the time I was finishing my undergraduate degree, I met my

partner Amanda, who has brought in an era of stability to my life.

Amanda’s unconditional love gave me a reason to tune into my life. I found

my voice for the first time in my adult life with the help of Amanda in my

life. So naturally we decided to have our first child. Ava Michelle Contreras

is a culmination of 10 happy years of dating and 5 years of marriage. To me,

she represents my hope for a better world. I have dedicated my life to

building a more nurturing empathetic world through music, and these two

women are a huge part of that dedication.

Josaphat began his teaching career in 2014 when he had one on one lessons with students on self-prepared songs for vocal juries under the supervision of his professor at Sam Houston State University.

After graduating, Josaphat taught in the Spring and Aldine school districts at multiple High Schools where students of his placed in various ensembles in the Texas All-State Choir process. His students were in All-District, All-Region, and All-Area Ensembles. In 2016, he had multiple of his students place in the Texas All-State Mixed Choir.

Students of Josaphat also competed in the National Association of Teachers of Singing student competitions - Greater Houston Chapter from 2016-2018 where he had multiple students who were awarded 2nd, 3rd and semifinalist awards.

In 2018, Josaphat moved to Boston where he taught bilingual music class as the Director of Coro at the Hurley School in South Boston, and was the associate music director at United Parish in Brookline. From 2019 to 2020, Josaphat serves as an assistant conductor for the Junior and Young Tenor Bass ensembles at Boston Children's Chorus. From 2020 to 2021, Josaphat served as the one of the voice instructors for Boston Children's Chorus program

the studio @ BCC.

For 2 years, Josaphat served as a voice teacher for the New England Conservatory of Music's Voice for Non-Major Student's where he held a studio and would prepare student's for vocal juries at the end of each semester.
Currently, Josaphat is employed by the Eleonor England studio in Manhattan, New York where he teaches a variety of styles within his students that include classical, musical theatre, pop, rock and folk music.

As an educator,

As a researcher,

Josaphat's career as a researcher began at the New England Conservatory of Music's Vocal Pedagogy program under the supervision of Dr. Ian Howell.

While being a part of the Master of Music Voice Pedagogy program at NEC, Josaphat's scope of research was on mariachi vocal acoustics and repertoire. In his final year, Josaphat ran case studies on a cis-gender female mariachi singer with over 30 years of experience at the time, examining the acoustics of certain vowels while looking at the bravía and falsete sub styles of mariachi vocal techniques. In January 2023, Josaphat won 1st place in his poster presentation at the National Opera Association titled: Can opera be folk music? the historical connection and theoretical application between opera and Mexican Mariachi Folk Music.

Josaphat has had his research presented at Houston Grand Opera insights pre-concert lecture, the National Opera Association, Lawrence Academy in April 2023, on a mariachi panel held by the University of Illinois - Springfield in conjunction with NPR Illinois, and at a mariachi educators workshop at Arizona State University.

As a singer,

1st generation Latinx tenor Josaphat Contreras grew up in Alief, Houston, Texas. In the spring of 2022, Josaphat graduated from the master’s degree program in Voice Pedagogy from The New England Conservatory of Music whose research encompasses mariachi repertoire and mariachi singing. In 2015, Josaphat completed his undergraduate studies at Sam Houston State University where he graduated with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Music – Voice.

Some of Josaphat’s favorite previous roles have been Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni), Rinuccio (Gianni Schicchi), Orpheus (Orpheus in the Underworld), King Kaspar (Amahl and the night visitors), and Don Carlos (Juana).

Josaphat has been a national semi-finalist for the NY lyric Competition in New York City, 1st place winner in the Greater Houston NATS Graduate division category, semi-finalist for the SAS Performing Arts Competition, and a semi-finalist for the Texas Young Artists Music Competition.

Josaphat has been a soloist for companies such as Teatro Ángela Peralta -Mazatlán, MX, Columbia Bach Society, Eureka Ensemble & Orchestra, Massachusetts Symphony Orchestra, Connecticut Lyric Opera, Cape Cod Chorale, Quincy Choral Society, NEMPAC Opera Project, Choral Art Society of the South Shore, Rumbarocco AfroLatin Baroque Ensemble, Opera NexGen, The New England Conservatory of Music Opera, and was selected as a featured singer for 2021- 2022 The New England Conservatory of Music Liederabend series. He has also performed with companies such as Boston Lyric Opera, New York Philharmonic Chorus, Teatro Nuovo, Musica Sacra NY, Opera Maine, Odyssey Opera of Boston, Boston Festival Orchestra, Seaglass Theatre Company, and Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra.

Josaphat has been a featured soloist in large works such as Goodall’s Eternal Light: A Requiem, Anton Bruckner Requiem, Handel’s Messiah, Schubert’s Mass in G, Handel’s El Mesías - A Spanish translation of Messiah, Saint-Saëns Christmas oratorio, and Mozart Requiem.

In January 2022, Josaphat made his Carnegie Hall debut as a featured singer in the Vincerò Academy Gala Concert at Weill Recital Hall.