Seraglio (1954), and Napoleon Bonaparte in Sergei Prokofiev's War and Peace (1957). He also performed the speaking part of Stepan in the world premiere of Bohuslav Martinů's The Marriage (1953) for NBC. In August 1953 Lishner made his debut with the Central City Opera as Herr Reich in Otto Nicolai's The Merry Wives of Windsor. He soon after joined the roster of artists at the New York City Opera (NYCO); making his debut with the company in October 1953 as Dottore Grenvil in Giuseppe Verdi's La traviata. With the NYCO he notably sang parts in the United States premieres of Gottfried von Einem's Der Prozeß and Marc Blitzstein's Regina (Ben Hubbard, 1953). He had a particular triumph at the NYCO in 1958 as Sir Morosus in Richard Strauss' Die schweigsame Frau. Some of the other roles he sang with the company were Alcindoro in La bohème (1955), Carlino in Don Pasquale (1955), Herr Reich (1955), and Osmin (1958). In 1955 Lishner performed the role of Vodník in Antonín Dvořák's Rusalka at Town Hall under conductor Peter Herman Adler. In 1956 he sang the role of Daniel Webster in Virgil Thomson's The Mother of Us All with Shirlee Emmons in her Obie Award winning performance of Susan B. Anthony at the Phoenix Theater. In 1966 he performed the part of Dr Kolenatý in the United States premiere of Leoš Janáček's The Makropulos Case at the San Francisco Opera. In 1972 he portrayed the role of Rambaldo Fernandez in La Rondine for the Philadelphia Lyric Opera Company with Anna Moffo as Magda de Civry. Lishner served on the music faculty of the University of Washington from 1964 to 1979. Composer Carol Sams cast him as God in her opera Heaven. He died in Seattle at the age of 82. After his death his recorded version of "Tachanka" became the intro to Neutrale Kijkers, a podcast about the World Cup in Russia. References External links Amahl and the Night Visitors performed by Leon Lishner as King Balthazar on archive.org 1913 births 1995 deaths City College of New York alumni Juilliard School alumni American operatic bass-baritones University of Washington faculty 20th-century American male opera singers