Dr. Joseph C. Crabtree, Chair of the Performing Arts Department at Laredo Community College, has been acclaimed on both sides of the Atlantic as a singer, conductor, and educator. As a Bass-baritone, he has had the unique opportunity of singing and performing in a wide range of venues, from Opera and Oratorio, to Musical Theater, Plays and Raido/Television Commercials both in Europe and America. While Mozart’s comic characters (Papageno, Nardo, Bartolo and Leporello) are his favorites, his performances range from Cavalli’s L’Orimindo with baroque instrumentation, to such modern works as Argento’s Postcard from Morocco.

Currently, Joseph lives in Laredo, Texas, with his wife, Dana, and their children, Nicholas and Lena. He also serves on the board of the Laredo Institute for Theatrical Education and is the organist at First Presbyterian Church, Laredo. His work at the college includes producing numerous singing works including Musical Theater (Fiddler on the Roof), Operetta (The Mikado), Opera (The Bartered Bride), and Zarzuela (El Dúo de la Africana) by the LCC Opera Workshop which he directs. He looks forward to singing Gasparo in Donizetti’s comic one-act opera, Rita, in the coming year with the Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra.