David Lewin

Full biography David Lewin

David Lewin was a renowned American composer and music theorist who played a significant role in shaping contemporary music theory. He was born in New York City in 1933 and passed away in 2003.

Apart from being a brilliant music theorist, Lewin was also an accomplished composer himself, having composed music for various ensembles and genres, including choral works and electronic music. He had a keen interest in computer music, and his work in this field was groundbreaking, influencing many contemporary composers.

Lewin was a renowned professor of music at various universities, including the University of California, Berkeley, and Harvard University, where he taught from 1961 to 1967. He wrote many critically acclaimed books and scholarly articles on music theory, including "Generalized Musical Intervals and Transformations" and "Musical Form and Transformation : Four Analytic Essays."

Lewin's approach to music theory was innovative in that it focused on the psychological and perceptual aspects of music rather than the traditional rules of music composition. He believed that music should be analyzed in terms of its subjective experience rather than its objective features, and his work greatly contributed to the study of musical perception.

Overall, David Lewin was a multifaceted personality who left an indelible mark on contemporary music theory and composition. He continues to be an inspiration and a guide to many aspiring musicians and music theorists, and his contributions to the field will always be remembered and celebrated.