Leon Lishner, who made his mark on opera stage, dies at 82
Leon Lishner, a former University of Washington professor whose bass voice made him famous on opera stages worldwide, died Nov. 21 of cancer. He was 82.
While serving on the UW faculty from 1964 to 1979, Lishner left his mark on generations of students, some of whom have international singing careers.
Known not only for his musical abilities but for his caring nature, Lishner was born in New York City to Russian immigrants and went on to perform in more than 85 roles with opera companies worldwide. One of his most famous roles was as the evil basso in Benjamin Britten’s Billy Budd, a performance that was immortalized in television and radio broadcasts.
Few exceeded him in the genre he made his own, the Yiddish art song. He recorded two volumes of those songs, some of which he had sung with his brother and sister in the family kitchen for years.
A promoter of Jewish music, his last album, “Our Town is Burning: Cries from the Holocaust” was released last year and he made one of his last public appearances in May in conjunction with the Anti-Defamation League’s Holocaust Film Series at the Seattle Art Museum.
Lishner sang well past his 80th birthday, which he celebrated with a concert at Meany Hall. “He had an incredibly long career for a singer, including many world premieres,” says Arthur Grossman, UW associate dean of arts and sciences. “He was a dear friend and someone who really lived life to the fullest.” After retiring from the UW, he assisted the UW Opera productions and stagings elsewhere.