QUEENS COLLEGE ONLINE DONATION
Thank you for making a donation to the Carl Schachter Scholarship.
Carl Schachter, distinguished professor in the Aaron Copland School of Music, passed away on May 22. He was in his 90s.
A Chicago native, Carl graduated high school at the age of 16. He earned a BS from the Mannes School of Music, an MA in Musicology from New York University, and a DM from the Mannes College of Music. He joined Queens College in 1971 as professor of Music and received the title of distinguished professor in 1993 until his retirement from the college in 1996.
Carl was a world-renowned music theorist and the world’s leading authority on the theory of Heinrich Schenker. He was a co-author on major books on music theory, including, with Edward Aldwell, Harmony and Voice Leading, and with Felix Salzer, Counterpoint in Composition. These are among the most widely used textbooks in music theory throughout the United States and the world. In 2014, Carl received the William Schuman Scholar Award from Juilliard in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to the musical community and to arts education.
Carl was a beloved teacher at Queens College, the Graduate Center, and after his retirement from Queens College, the Juilliard School. He opened a world of musical understanding to generations of musicians of every kind with his patient and musical teaching. He also had a sense of joy and humor; he was especially noted in class for his ability to play the piano backwards!
The Carl Schachter Tribute Project is an initiative to celebrate Carl Schachter’s legacy by collecting anecdotes and tributes from his students, colleagues, and friends. If you would like to make a submission, please go to https://tinyurl.com/bdf4pc8h.