Joseph Lescher

Joseph Lescher has been the Principal Bass of the San Francisco Opera for 31 years, since 1992. He was a past member of the Seattle Symphony and the Oregon Symphony, and has worked with the Chicago Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony, San Francisco Ballet and has spent summers with the Grand Teton Music Festival in Jackson, Wyoming for the past 17 years.

Joe has studied with Warren Benfield at DePaul University in Chicago. He also studied at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena, Italy and in Sermoneta, Italy with renowned soloist and teacher Franco Petracchi. Other teachers have included Ed Barker, and Joe Guastafeste.

He plays on a bass made by George Panormo from 1810, and a Milanese bass from 1805. Other musical interests include playing the Viola da Gamba and the Viennese bass.