Harry Hyams

American viola player. May 24, 1917 - January 24, 2015. For the British singer-songwriter please see Harry Hyams (2). At the age of 20, he was asked to join the New York Philharmonic on viola. He was with the Philharmonic from 1938- 1948. In 1948, Harry left the Philharmonic and moved to Los Angeles and joined the Champagne Music Makers of the Lawrence Welk Band in 1961 and played with them until 1982. He also performed with artists such as John Lennon, Frank Sinatra, Barbara Streisand, Frank Zappa, Harry Nilsson and Bobby Darin and many others.