Background
Howard Shanet was born on 9 November 1918 in Brooklyn, New York, and started his musical career as a cellist, gaining a Bachelor"s degree from Columbia in 1939 and a Master"s in Musicology in 1941.
composer conductor university professor
Howard Shanet was born on 9 November 1918 in Brooklyn, New York, and started his musical career as a cellist, gaining a Bachelor"s degree from Columbia in 1939 and a Master"s in Musicology in 1941.
After military service in World World War II, he studied musical composition with Bohuslav Martinů and Aaron Copland and conducting with Serge Koussevitzky and Fritz Stiedry.
He was also a music professor at Columbia University, and the chairman of its music department from 1972–1978. During the early 1950s, he was conducting assistant to Leonard Bernstein at the New York Symphony. In 1953, he joined Columbia"s faculty as Professor of Music, later becoming chairman of its music department from 1972–1978.
In later years, he was appointed a professor emeritus.
As a visiting conductor, he appeared with several major United States. orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He composed music for orchestra, string quartet, and band.
He also conducted performances of operas at Columbia, including the world premiere of Carlos Chávez"s The Visitors.
Served with United States Army, 1942-1946, Iwo Jima. Member College Music Society, American Musicol. Society, Sonneck Society, Sibelius Society.
Son of; married Bernice Grafstein, October 10, 1963. 1 son, Laurence Paul.