Background
He was born in Hanušovice, Moravia, Austria-Hungary (now in the Czechoslovakian Republic).
He was born in Hanušovice, Moravia, Austria-Hungary (now in the Czechoslovakian Republic).
He studied law at the University of Prague, then musicology at the University of Berlin.
He founded the Canadian Opera Company, and was Director of Music at University of Toronto. In addition, he had private music lessons in piano and composition with Rudolf Breithaupt, Frederic Lamond, and Franz Schreker. In the early 1930s, Walter wrote the music column for Die Weltbühne, and was music critic for the Vorwärts magazine.
In 1937, he emigrated to Canada and taught at Upper Canada College.
From 1952 to 1968, Walter was music director of the music faculty of the University of Toronto. Among his notable pupils were pianist Howard Brown, Philosophy Nimmons.
He received an Honorary Doctor of Music from Mount Allison University in 1966. He died in Toronto, Canada.