Carl William Lesch (1924–1983) was an American Roman Catholic educator, director, and musical conductor and instructor associated with many institutions in the New York Metropolitan area. Lesch started his career as a young man in the 1940s when he took over the position of choral director at St. Margaret Mary's Church in Midland Beach, Staten Island. There he organized a new boys choir and eventually led this group, serving as conductor, to the a first-place gold cup victory in a Town Hall music competition. In 1949 he became organist and choirmaster of St. Henry's Church in Bayonne, New Jersey and quickly organized a choir of 60 men and boys who would go on to local fame when their performances began to be broadcast live on The Catholic Hour in 1954 and 1955, as well as concertized throu