Music Theorist Carl Schachter Dies at 93

Carl Schachter, a well-known music theorist in the U.S. famous for his work on Schenkerian analysis, has died at 93. He was born in 1932 in Chicago and studied under Felix Salzer at Mannes College of Music, where he also later became a teacher. Schachter earned his Bachelor of Science from Mannes, a Master of Arts in musicology from NYU, and a Doctor of Musical Arts from Mannes. In 1972, he joined Queens College and the CUNY Graduate Center, becoming Distinguished Professor from 1993 to 1996 and teaching until 2012. He also taught at The Juilliard School for over 20 years, earning the William Schuman Scholar Award in 2014. His engaging classes often featured piano demonstrations, and he contributed significantly to Schenkerian theory through his research and publications. The Juilliard community expressed their condolences on social media, remembering his teaching legacy and influential writings.