José Meléndez is an active pianist, coach, accompanist, and conductor in opera, recitals, and concert work in the United States, South America, Central America, Asia, and Puerto Rico. For five consecutive seasons he served as Assistant Conductor and Principal Coach for Opera New Jersey and continues his collaboration as principal coach and pianist for the Puerto Rico Metropolitan Opera Council District and Regional Auditions, a position he has held for thirteen seasons. Summer of 2009 Mr. Meléndez joined the Glimmerglass Opera as principal coach and collaborative pianist. He has worked with the Curtis Institute of Music, Opera de Puerto Rico, Teatro de la Opera in Puerto Rico, Indianapolis Opera, Bay Area Summer Opera Theater (BASOTI), Orlando Opera, the Casals Festival, and the Plácido Domingo International Voice Competition (Operalia ‘99).  He has participated in numerous master classes given by distinguished artists such as Alfredo Kraus, Pablo Elvira, Diana Soviero, Anna Moffo, Richard Bado, Mignon Dunn, Eugene Kohn, Licia Albanese, Sharon Sweet, Robert White, Justino Diaz, Christofer Macatsoris, Regina Resnik, Renata Scotto, and Dalton Baldwin. Also an accomplished concert pianist, Mr. Meléndez won first prize in the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico's Piano Competition (1992), which led to his debut with the Puerto Rico Symphonic Orchestra, conducted by Maestro Roselin Pabón, in Haydn's Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in D Major. With this orchestra, he has also performed Copland's Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra, Manuel de Falla's Las noches en los jardines de España and El sombrero de tres picos, Holst's The Planets and Mahler's Symphony No. 8. In 2007, Mr. Meléndez made his opera stage debut playing piano as Jasbo Brown in Porgy and Bess with the Opera Company of Philadelphia under the baton of Maestro Stefan Lano.

An avid recitalist, José Meléndez has worked as part of a double piano team with Akiko Hosaki in a series in Japan, New Jersey, and Minnesota, under the tutelage of Margo Garret. Mr. Meléndez also continues an twelve-year collaboration with mezzo-soprano Maya Hoover in recitals of all Latin American music throughout the United States and abroad.

This summer Mr. Meléndez will make his Philadelphia Academy of Music debut conducting Gilbert and Sullivan’s Ruddigore followed by the US debut of The Merry Nibelungs and a return to Opera New Jersey.

José Meléndez is currently the Assistant to the Music Director and Librarian at Philadelphia’s prestigous Academy of Vocal Arts as well as Music Director of Concert Operetta Theater.