Zachary Bernstein

Zachary Bernstein is an Associate Professor and Chair of Music Theory at the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester. He specializes in 20th-century concert music, with a focus on serialism, organicism, and the works of composers like Milton Babbitt. Previously, he taught at the University of Alabama. His education includes a BM in composition from The Juilliard School, and MA and PhD degrees in music theory from the CUNY Graduate Center.

Research interests span Babbitt’s compositional techniques, historical perspectives on serialism, and intersections between cognition and musical structure. His book Thinking In and About Music: Analytical Reflections on Milton Babbitt’s Music and Thought (Oxford UP) redefines analytical approaches to post-war avant-garde music. He has also explored tonality in 20th-century works, including a chapter on Rebecca Clarke.

Bernstein’s awards include the Barry S. Brook Dissertation Award and the Patricia Carpenter Emerging Scholar Award. His articles address topics such as Babbitt’s arrays, the legacy of the twelve-tone system, and spectralist composition. At Eastman, he teaches tonal and post-tonal theory and advises on advanced analytical topics.