Philippe Cathé

Philippe Cathé is a Professor at Sorbonne University, specializing in 20th-century French music (1870-1950), harmonic analysis via Nicolas Meeùs' theory of harmonic vectors, and the interplay of sound and image in cinema. He teaches seminars on harmonic vectors and courses on tonality, analytical methods, and music-cinema relationships at both Sorbonne and New York University. His research integrates theoretical innovation with extensive repertoire analysis, spanning from Renaissance to pop music.

His publications focus on Charles Koechlin and Claude Terrasse, with notable works including co-edited volumes like Charles Koechlin, Composer and Humanist (Vrin, 2010) and monographs such as 500 Years of Harmonic Music (HDR thesis, 2012). He co-developed the Charles software for harmonic vector analysis.

• Scientific Awards:
  • Manuscript Prize of the General Council of the Rhône (2003)
• Conference Organization: Co-organized multiple Petites Biennales de Musique Française and international symposia on musicology, including topics like harmonic vectors and film music.
• Radio Work: Regular contributor to France-Musique programs on French operetta and composers like Terrasse and Koechlin.