BIOGRAPHY
Tony lives in Winter Garden, Florida, and works as a freelance vocalist and music director. He currently serves as Music Director for the “Voices of Liberty” at EPCOT, the Dapper Dans of Disneyworld at the Magic Kingdom, and as Vocal Director for “Finding Nemo the Musical” at Disney’s Animal Kingdom along with vocal coaching for special events at Walt Disney World. He was the music director for an a cappella group called Voctave (www.voctave.com) from the groups creation in 2015 through the end of 2019. Tony enjoys vocal and performance coaching for numerous barbershop and Sweet Adeline choruses and quartets around the globe, as well as being a featured clinician for choral ensembles around the country. As an active demo and rehearsal CD producer, Tony has produced over 500 separate recording projects out of his home studio along with providing vocals for Hal Leonard Publishing, Walt Disney World, TM Studios, Jeff Arthur Productions, and the Imagination House.
Currently, Tony is a 40 year member of the Barbershop Harmony Society joining at the age of 7. He grew up singing barbershop harmony under his Dad’s direction with choruses and quartets in Rochester, N.Y., and Central Florida. He hit the International Barbershop competition stage as a tenor, at age 12. Seven years later, after many appearances at International with District Championship quartets, he captured a gold medal (The youngest ever to win in the Barbershop Harmony Society at 19!) with the 1992 champions, “Keepsake.” He attained this level again in 2000, repeating on the baritone part, as “PLATINUM” won the quartet championship. Tony is the lead singer in the 2007 Gold medalist quartet “Max Q”, a distinctly artistic and talented foursome and feature storyline of the documentary movie, “American Harmony”. Beyond that, he is a part of “Main Street” (www.mainstreetqt.com), whose jump into competitive barbershop has landed them in the Top 5 at international competitions from 2011 to 2016. They are now the 2017 Gold Medal Champions, and dedicated to bringing traditional barbershop arrangements and look to the stage.
Tony has years of barbershop directing experience. In his first venture, he continued his father’s legacy by directing the Tampa Heralds of Harmony to International competition nine years in a row (1994 – 2002). He currently directs two barbershop choruses between the Barbershop Harmony Society and Sweet Adelines International. Since 2007, he has directed the Toast of Tampa Show Chorus (SAI / www.toastoftampa.org ) from Tampa, FL and in 2012, Tony ‘came home’ to direct the Heralds of Harmony also based in Tampa, FL. Under his leadership, both groups have competed at the International level for their perspective societies with the highest finish coming from the ladies as they finished 3rd in 2015 while the Heralds finished 6th in their international convention in 2018. With great appreciation, his Barbershop life is full!!!!
Those are Tony’s professional and musical “stats”, but his true pride and joy is his wife of 20 years, Jodi, and his family. Jodi and Tony met when they both sang with the “Voices of Liberty,” and they’ve shared some amazing and challenging musical moments since. Most important to Tony, they also share four terrific children: Alec and husband Eric, Kayla, Joseph, and the youngest, Sophia. Currently, he shares a quartet with Joseph and both younger children share the chorus experience standing on the risers with The Toast of Tampa and The Heralds of Harmony. The ‘DeRosa 4’ (Tony, Jodi, Joseph, and Sophia) has been heard to ring a chord or two as well. The addition of three grandbaby girls, Ella, Aubrey and Addison, has added even more joy to the family. That’s right, he’s a Grandfather! This family shares the blessings of strong faith in the Lord, extended-family fun, and a busy, but full life...loaded with music!
