Joseph Carbone Young Guitarist Scholarship Fund

Joseph Carbone was an accomplished guitarist, dedicated educator, and respected business owner. He had a reputation as a virtuoso musician and accompanist. A lifetime study of the great American songbook developed his harmonic mastery of the instrument. His knowledge of thousands of songs afforded him the opportunity to work with renowned artists such as Joe Pass, Ben Vereen, Patti Page, Frankie Laine, Bobby Rydell, Fabian, Frankie Avalon, Cab Calloway, and Sammy Davis Jr.. He performed on the Daytime Emmy and Clio shows. He entertained Former President Bill Clinton, Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Former Governor Mario Cuomo, Former Governor George Pataki, and Former Mayor Rudolph Guiliani. Mr. Carbone provided entertainment for veterans and received a Proclamation from the State Senate, as well as several Certificates of Recognition from various American Legion Posts for donating his service and time. He also donated services for other organizations including the American Cancer Association and the Music Heals the Heart Foundation. Additionally, he received an award from the American Guitar Museum for his support of the arts.

Mr. Carbone graduated from C.W. Post. He began his teaching career at Five Towns College. Mr. Carbone served as Chair of the Music Division for several years and was influential in building the school’s guitar department. In 2006, he received the Guitar Department Award for Outstanding Artistic Achievement in the Performing Arts. In 2011, he was awarded the Presidential Award for Outstanding Musical Achievement and Educational Service. In 2017, he received an honorary doctorate from Five Towns College. Additionally, he  taught music at Nassau BOCES and C.W. Post. He retired from Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School in Manhattan, where he was best known for his charismatic personality and impeccable sense of style.

Joe cared deeply for all of his students throughout the years. He felt the most important thing as a musician was to provide opportunities for young artists to discover their own talent and creativity. The Joseph Carbone Young Guitarist Scholarship will be awarded to a student who shows promise as a musician and demonstrates a love of guitar. Thank you for donating to this fund.