Los Angeles native BARRY SOCHER, a member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra since 1981, studied violin with Alice Schoenfeld, Eudice Shapiro, and Zino Francescatti, composition with Frederick Lesemann and Darius Milhaud, and conducting with Hans Beer and Daniel Lewis. He taught at the Idyllwild School of Music and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestral Institute for many summers and has been on the faculties of Pomona College and the University of Southern California.

Socher performs frequently with the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s New Music Group and Chamber Music Society and has appeared in recital throughout Southern California. Having led the Los Angeles Master Chorale Orchestra and the Pasadena Pops Orchestra as concertmaster, he has also been concertmaster of the Fresno Philharmonic and the Ojai Festival and Oregon Bach Festival Orchestras. He is the founder and first violinist of the Armadillo String Quartet and has been a soloist with the Los Angeles Chamber and Pasadena Pops orchestras and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. His compositions have been performed by the Fresno Philharmonic Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Chamber Music Society, and at the Ojai Music Festival, in addition to other ensembles in the United States and Europe. He has been assistant conductor of the Idyllwild Festival Orchestra and the national touring company of Jesus Christ Superstar, and has conducted orchestras throughout California.