Meet ESO Subscriber, Dr. Leslie (Les) Schier

When ESO subscriber Leslie (Les) Schier was 16 years old, he heard Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik for the first time. It was so simple, beautiful, and pleasing that it captured his attention and lit his passion for classical music. Growing up, his father would spend evenings sipping champagne in the living room and listening to operas like Donizetti’s Don Pasquale. But this piece by Mozart was the one that really inspired him. He would recommend it to any young aficionado.

Les began subscribing to ESO because he finds the concerts to be enjoyable, the audience down to earth, the musical selections accessible, and the musicianship to be high quality. His favorite instrument is the violin, which he believes is the “highest art in music.” With an unfretted fingerboard he jokingly wonders, “How do you hit the right notes?” And Les knows about frets. As teenager, he found a bass ukulele in a Chicago dumpster. He cleaned it up and started playing. Today, he continues to love the richness of its sound, and he plays for fun.

Les’ path to the ESO was long. He was born in Hungary during World War II. His father was an otolaryngologist, served in the Hungarian army, and was stationed in Czechoslovakia. As the war heated up, the U.S. government gave his dad the choice of returning to Hungary or moving to northern Germany along with his family. They chose the latter. After more than six years in Germany, the family received sponsorship to move to the United States. There was a short stay in New York City, where Les turned 9 years old, and then the International Rescue Committee (IRC) found a placement for them. They moved to Wisconsin and finally settled in Chicago.

Les followed in his father’s footsteps and become an otolaryngologist. After more than 35 years in practice, he recently retired and today enjoys his hobbies. He has a sailboat at Montrose Harbor and loves spending time out on Lake Michigan. He likes to ski, especially in Utah. Les also has a passion for flying radio-controlled airplanes and is the immediate past President of the Radio Signal Modelers Club, which maintains an airfield at Schiller Woods in Chicago. And, of course, he plays his bass ukulele and listens to music of all types, including classical, folk, and ballads.