Joanna Medawwar Nachef, is recognized as the first woman conductor from the Middle East. Born in Beirut, Lebanon, she moved to Los Angeles in 1976. She earned her Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Southern California. Dr. Nachef, is Professor Emeritus, recently retired as Director of Choral & Orchestral Activities at El Camino College, having served in this post for 30 years. She is founder and Artistic Director of JOANNA MEDAWAR NACHEF SINGERS and Artistic Director/Conductor of the recently formed Joanna Medawar Nachef Orchestra.
Since 1980, she has served as the Choir Director at Peninsula
Community Church. Dr. Nachef has directed both locally and in guest appearances in motion pictures, and toured nationally and internationally with her performing groups. Over the past 30 years, her concert tours included the U.S, Canada, Hawaii, Eastern Europe, Vienna, Lebanon and Russia. Her guest conducting appearances have included 7 performances at Carnegie Hall with The New England Symphonic Ensemble. She has guest conducted the Pacific Symphony Orchestra, the National Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra, the Torrance Pops Orchestra, the Carson/Dominguez Hills Symphony Orchestra, the El Camino College Symphony Orchestra, and Beirut Chants Symphony Orchestra.
She is speaker and “Citizen Diplomat” for the US State Department, and alumnae of the U.S. Institute of Peace, Washington D.C. She has received numerous lifetime achievement and prestigious awards which include the Lebanese Ladies Cultural Society 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award, Daughters of The American Revolution’s 2015 State Americanism Medal, El Camino College’s Distinguished Faculty Award 2014/2015, & California Lebanese Ladies Organization, 2015 Mother of the Year. She was featured in the 2017 Book “100 Influential Lebanese Figures around the world”, was the first recipient of Torrance Performing Arts Council 2019 “Peace and Harmony” Award, & LA/Cedars Rotary Club 2025 Community Service Award.
Dr. Nachef is a charter member; past president of Los Angeles Beirut Sister Cities Organization. As the cultural chair, she coordinated, hosted; conducted three historical performances with Lebanese; American choral groups in Los Angeles & NewYork’s Carnegie Hall.