Joel Waterman (violaist) received his first violin lessons from his father and continued his violin studies with Coosje Wijzenbeek in Hilversum. At the age of sixteen, he switched to the viola, and studied with Marjolein Dispa at the Conservatorium in Amsterdam, where he graduated summa cum laude in 2002. He also studied at the University of Bloomington, Indiana with Rostislav Dubinsky. In Bloomington he received the Kreisler Award.

Since 1995, Joel is a substitute with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and a guest leader at the Arnhem Philharmonic Orchestra, the Radio Chamber Philharmonic and Amsterdam Sinfonietta. He is very active in chamber music, and has played with musicians such as Janine Jansen, Liza Ferschtman, Paolo Giacometti and Rian de Waal. Furthermore, he is co-founder of the ensemble Cameleon and since 2008 violist of the Utrecht String Quartet.