Joan Patenaude-Yarnell has sung many of the lyric-coloratura soprano roles throughout North America (New York City Opera, San Francisco Opera, and Canadian Opera, among others) and with leading conductors such as Charles Mackerras, Seiji Ozawa, and Julius Rudel. She can be heard on the Vanguard, Musical Heritage Society, and Canadian Broadcasting Corporation record labels.

Ms. Patenaude-Yarnell’s students are currently performing with the major international opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera, Covent Garden Opera, Salzburg Festival, Deutsche Oper, San Francisco Opera, and Chicago Lyric Opera. Several are recent winners at major voice competitions, including the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, George London Awards, Lissner Foundation, Opera Index, Richard Tucker Foundation, and Puccini Awards in the U.S.; and internationally, the Belvedere Awards, (Germany) and Canada Council Awards.

Ms. Patenaude-Yarnell's master class, The Art of Bel Canto, has been presented at the Royal Opera House Young Artist’s Program, Princeton University, the University of Southern Ontario, London's Guilhall School, the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, and Oberlin in Italy.

Ms. Patenaude-Yarnell joined the Curtis faculty in 1996. She is also is a member of the voice faculty at the Manhattan School of Music.