Founding Music Director Joel Lish
Joel B. Lish (1935-2024) led the Palisades Symphony for over fifty years after founding it in 1966. His work brought an intense, meaningful musical experience to all the instrumentalists who played under his direction. Joel was also a positive influence on far more -- perhaps thousands -- of young people in his capacity as a music teacher in the Los Angeles school district. From time to time we hear from PSO listeners telling us how their lives were changed by their early musical experience with Joel.
Biography of Joel Lish
Joel B. Lish, founder and former Music Director of the
Palisades Symphony, was born in 1935 in Brooklyn, N.Y. He
moved to California with his family at an early age. His
father was a musician, and Joel and his brother were given
music lessons. While attending Verdugo Hills High School, Joel
wanted to play in a string quartet that was being formed.
However, he was one of three violinists wanting to play in
that quartet, so Joel was persuaded by a teacher to try the
viola. As it turned out, he excelled on the viola, and
remained with this instrument for life.
After graduating from high school when he was just sixteen,
Joel enrolled in the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music. Later
he enlisted in the United States Air Force after being told
that he would be able to join the Air Force Symphony. This
turned out to be a false promise, but he still made the most
of his four years in the Air Force. While stationed in Denver,
Joel studied viola and played with a local orchestra. During
his last two years in the service he was stationed in Okinawa,
Japan. At the request of some of the local musicians he
started a small group of string players and taught himself to
conduct. He learned years later that this group eventually
evolved into the Okinawa Symphony and that he was
considered the founder of that orchestra! The orchestra lists
its founding date as 1956, when Joel was just 21.
After his discharge from the Air Force, Joel attended Cal
State Northridge, earning a Master’s degree in teaching. He
taught music in local junior high schools, first at his own
childhood school in East Los Angeles, then at Nobel Junior
High in the San Fernando Valley. In 1965 he was invited to
teach music at Palisades High School, which had opened only
four years earlier. At first he ran everything, including the
marching band, but eventually was able to focus on the student
orchestra. Finding that he had some very good music students,
he started the Palisades Symphony in 1966 in order to provide
them with an additional opportunity to play. Joel soon became
Chair of the Music Department of the high school, where he
remained until he retired from teaching in 1995.
Retirement allowed Joel to devote more time to his other
career as a professional violist. He performed casual,
strolling, chamber, and orchestral music with many ensembles
throughout the Los Angeles area. He especially enjoyed his
work with Murray Korda’s “Monseigneur Strings” – a group of
musicians who were renowned in the Los Angeles area for
playing for high-end society functions attended by presidents
and Hollywood royalty. Joel was an expert at hearing the
harmony and creating his own inner lines on the viola, weaving
in and out of the music as the other string players played the
melody. Joel also participated in many studio recordings and
films for motion pictures and television.
His teaching and conducting led him to work with performing
organizations of all age groups. For several years he
conducted the Los Angeles Mandolin Orchestra , with
whom he made a recording. He also worked with student
groups at the Crossroads School for several years. He loved
conducting the Floating Strings, which was a group of
musicians, both amateur and professional, who enjoyed the
chance to gather in various locations during the summers to
read through music for strings.
On top of all these activities, Joel ran a small business,
Middle Fiddle Music, that sold his arrangements of classical
works for small ensembles - duets, trios and quartets.
PSO members have noticed that when they meet other musicians,
very often it turns out that they knew Joel. Indeed, it seems
that whenever Joel needed an outstanding concerto soloist, or
the occasional harpist or fourth horn player, he always knew
to whom he could turn. In other words, Joel was an essential,
deeply-connected member of the Los Angeles classical music
community. His leadership of the Palisades Symphony stood at
the center of his activities.