René Engel
Board Member
New board member René Engel is a veteran broadcaster and arts advocate in Los Angeles, having done a tour of duty at five public radio stations in Southern California. René is a devoted and passionate music lover, with a broad appreciation for all musical genres. His first love is, and remains, Classical Music. His best known persona is as the host of the "Citybilly" Country Music radio show.
Engel has been an in-demand speaker on nonprofit management, having been one of the architects in building the national success of radio stations KCRW, KPCC, KLON and KCSN. He was the afternoon drivetime host at KUSC. René also produced the Santa Monica Pier Concerts for many years, MCing the concerts from 1989 to 2010. René executive produced the international broadcasts of the Playboy Jazz Festival for two different radio stations, KPCC, where he created the broadcasts, and KLON, now K-JAZZ. He curates exhibitions for the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl Museum.
Engel played violin in the Beverly Hills Symphony. He sang in the Temple Beth Am High Holiday choir for thirty years, and was the bass soloist for the United Armenian Congregational Church in Hollywood. While still a student, René conducted two choral ensembles at Valley College.
He is married to Lisa Palley, who many of you in and around VOX know. They live with their dog Trixie and cat Minkie in the Pico/Robertson neighborhood of Los Angeles and sing two-part harmony at the drop of a hat!