Tenor, conductor, and educator Josh Lisner performed as a member of the Philadelphia Symphonic Choir in Netflix’s acclaimed film Maestro, directed by and starring Bradley Cooper. The choir’s performance is featured both on-screen in the movie and on the official soundtrack, Maestro: Music by Leonard Bernstein, which won the 67th Grammy Award (2024) for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media.
Lisner can be seen in a moving sequence of the film (56:40–59:38), where Cooper, portraying Leonard Bernstein, conducts Bernstein’s Candide chorus “Make Our Garden Grow.” The choir was prepared by Joe Miller and guided by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Music Director of The Philadelphia Orchestra, as Cooper brought Bernstein’s artistry vividly to life.
The recognition extended beyond the screen. The Maestro soundtrack triumphed at the Grammy Awards over fellow nominees The Color Purple, Deadpool & Wolverine, Saltburn, and Twisters: The Album, making Lisner’s contribution part of a celebrated project recognized by the Recording Academy.
“When I walked into the room that day and saw Bradley Cooper, Carey Mulligan, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, and Joe Miller all working together, I was overwhelmed with gratitude,” Lisner reflects. “To not only sing for the project but to be captured on-screen, surrounded by colleagues and friends, was truly unforgettable. Being part of art at this level is a dream come true.”
For Lisner, the project represents both a cinematic milestone and a musical achievement. “This was my first Grammy, and I hope it won’t be the last,” he says. “But more than that, being visible in the film itself—contributing to the story of Bernstein through both sight and sound—made me feel as though my work as a performer has entered a new chapter.”