SCHULLER, GUNTHER

born Nov. 22, 1925, New York, N.Y., U.S.

U.S. composer, conductor, and educator.

Son of a violinist, he trained at the Manhattan School of Music. He played French horn with the Cincinnati Orchestra from age 18 and with the Metropolitan Opera orchestra (1945–59), as well as with jazz musicians such as Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Quartet . His "third stream" music (combining classical and jazz styles) includes compositions such as Seven Studies on Themes of Paul Klee (1959). He was president of the New England Conservatory of Music (1967–77) and directed the Berkshire Music Center (1974–84). A preeminent authority on jazz, he wrote the acclaimed Early Jazz (1968) and The Swing Era (1988).