Joseph Piazza was appointed as Music Director of the Golden Gate Men’s Chorus in May of 2010. During his tenure with GGMC, Mr. Piazza has appeared with the chorus at international and state choral festivals, released recordings of newly commissioned works, partnered with community arts organizations, and brought outstanding performances to the San Francisco Bay Area. In November 2023, Piazza conducted GGMC at the Lisbon Sings! festival in Portugal, where the chorus was awarded gold medals in the “Equal Voices” and “Folklore” competitions and Counterpoint took a silver medal in the “Sacred Choral Music” competition. In July of 2018, he conducted GGMC at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in Wales on its tour of the UK, where the Chorus took first place in the “Adult Folk Song Choir” competition and Counterpoint took 3rd place in the “International A Cappella Group” competition. In November of 2016, GGMC was the category winner of the Golden State Interkultur International Festival, which earned it the rank of #1 male chorus in North America and #10 male chorus in the world. In October of 2016, GGMC released its second CD under the direction of Piazza of new works for male choir commissioned by GGMC from composers such as Vytautas Miškinis, Ivo Antognini, David Conte, Leonard Enns, Ēriks Ešenvalds, Fredrik Sixten, and Stephen Main. In February of 2014, GGMC performed at the American Choral Directors’ Western Division Regional Convention and in July 2014 at the World Choir Games in Riga, Latvia, where GGMC was awarded gold medals in the "Musica Sacra with Accompaniment" and "Male Choirs" Champions Competition and a silver medal in the "Spiritual" Champions Competition.

Piazza received his musical degrees from Northwestern University and the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. He is the former Music Director of Piedmont High School A Capella Choir and the founding director of ECCO, the alumni chorus of the Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir, representing outstanding high school vocalists from the Bay Area. Under his direction, the Piedmont A Capella Choir toured the People’s Republic of China, England, Scotland, Ireland, Canada, Italy, Hungary, and Germany. In 2008, on the occasion of Handel’s 200th birthday, the choir performed Messiah in Halle, Germany. In 2007, the choir performed John Rutter’s Requiem at Carnegie Hall with John Rutter conducting. In 2002, the choir was one of four featured at the Festival of Choirs under the direction of Vance George, at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco and again in 2010 performing with Chanticleer. The chorus appeared again at Carnegie Hall in 2011, 2012, and 2014.

Mr. Piazza studied conducting and rehearsal techniques with Vance George; he has also worked with Dennis Keene and the Gregg Smith Singers. He appears as guest conductor with community choruses across California.