Charles Louis Seeger

Although he began his musical career as a composer and conductor, Charles Seeger would become a pioneer in the field of musicology (the systematized study of music). His work for numerous universities and the federal government helped to preserve and promote American folk music, and several of his children, Pete, Mike, and Peggy, played important roles in the American Folk Revival. After graduating from Harvard in 1908, Seeger traveled to Europe to conduct the Cologne Opera (1910-1911). He returned to the United States in 1912 and received a position as chairman of the department of music (1912-1919) at the University of California. In 1916 he would give the first American course in musicology. He lost his position in 1919 due to his opposition to World War I, and relocated to New York City where he became a lecturer/instructor at the Institute of Musical Art (later Julliard) from 1921 to 1933.



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