A graduate of Music and Art High School in New York City, Professor Joan Yakkey holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Composition from Queens College and 3 graduate degrees in Choral Direction and Composition, International Teaching Methods, and Piano Performance from The Music Conservatory in Florence, Italy. She has studied Kodaly, Orff, and Dalcroze methods in Europe and composition with Nadia Boulanger at the Conservatory of Music in Paris.
In 1978, Prof. Yakkey founded the Choral Department for Young Singers at the European School of Music, Fiesole, Florence, Italy. As chair of the department, she directs the three choirs of students from age 5 to 19 years. In 1997, she had established the Children’s Choir Program at the State Music Conservatory where she taught piano for 37 years.
Prof. Yakkey’s choirs are the Children’s Choir in residence for the Florence Opera House and with whom she has recorded the following operas: I Medici by Leoncavallo, La Boheme and Tosca under the direction of Zubin Mehta on Decca records. Other discography includes: Brundibar the Holocaust Opera by Hans Krasa, Benjamin Britten’s The Chimney Sweep, Claudio Monteverdi’s Sacred Songs and Canzonettes for Three Voices and Anonymous Venetian Airs of the 18th Century. For over 20 years Prof. Yakkey’s choirs have been invited to perform for prestigious music events throughout Europe.
Prof. Yakkey also directs a professional Female Vocal Ensemble “Tempus Floridum”. These young ladies are particularly talented, study voice and read music autonomously. Recent tours include the FIOP Festival of Portugalete (Festival of Octets), the International Choral Competition of Arezzo, Italy and an invitation by the Vatican to hold various concerts in the churches of Rome.Joan Yakkey is the author of numerous scores of original compositions, arrangements and early music study edition of unpublished works found in Italian libraries. She has also developed various teaching methods and children’s music books in bilingual editions. Her books and compositions have gained recognition in The United States, Australia and Europe. Her transcriptions of Four Canzonets by C. Monteverdi were recently published by the Treble Clef Publications. She receives commissions by music academies to compose special music for the students.