Joshua Carswell

Joshua Carswell first walked through the doors of the Annie Moses Summer Music Festival in 2005, a young singer from North Carolina with a remarkable voice and a heart open to where it might lead him. He went on to study at Elon University, but the Festival drew him back — first as a guest performer and teacher, and then, after graduation, as a young artist who packed up his life and moved to Nashville to tour with the Annie Moses Band. Over the years that followed, Joshua became one of the AMB's most beloved collaborators, guest-starring on their PBS special Art of the Love Songand producing all three of his solo albums with the Wolavers.

An accomplished tenor and versatile performing artist, Joshua's work spans opera, oratorio, musical theatre, and commercial music. A native of North Carolina, he graduated from Elon University in 2010 with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance, earning the university's prestigious Presser Music Scholar award — a distinction reserved for its most outstanding music students.

Joshua's operatic credits include Ferrando in Mozart's Così Fan Tutte with the American Singers Opera Project, Rinuccio in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, and the featured solo "Generations" in Children of Eden — all of which have showcased his exceptional range and interpretive depth. He has appeared with the Greensboro Opera and Symphony and the North Carolina Symphony, and performed as a guest soloist at Carnegie Hall's Isaac Stern Auditorium alongside the Annie Moses Band and the New American Choir and Orchestra.

Joshua's artistry has also earned national recognition. He was awarded the Grand Prize at the prestigious 2012 American Traditions Competition in Savannah, Georgia — one of the most respected vocal competitions in the country — and subsequently appeared as a guest soloist with the Savannah Philharmonic. He is also a winner at both the state and regional levels of NATS in Classical and Musical Theatre.

When the Wolavers launched The Wonderful World of Benjamin Cello, Joshua discovered a new platform for a love of puppeting that runs back generations in his family. He brings many of the show's puppets to life, performing regularly as Donkey Oatey, the professorial donkey, and Wiggle Worm, the ADD bookworm, and has also appeared on screen as Brother Joseph, the shadow puppet maker.

Today Joshua teaches voice at the Conservatory of Annie Moses and co-directs Packard Playhouse productions, having recently starred in Annie Get Your Gun and The Music Man.