Herbert A. Deutsch

Herbert A. Deutsch has had an eclectic career as an author and educator as well as a composer and marketing consultant. His interest in electronic music early in his career led him to collaborate with Robert A. Moog in 1964 on the development of the first Moog Synthesizer (Deutsch served as director of marketing and sales at Moog Music from 1979 to 1983.)

He served as professor emeritus of music (1973-1979) and chairman of the music department (1995-2001) for Hofstra University. While at Hofstra, he composed the scores for six Shakespeare Festival productions, including two while still an undergraduate student. During his 46 years of teaching at Hofstra, he founded the Jazz Ensemble, the Electronic Music Studios, and The New Music Ensemble, and he created the Bachelor of Science programs in Composition/Theory, Jazz & Commercial Music, and Music Merchandising.

A composer of music in various media, Deutsch cofounded the Long Island Composers Alliance (LICA) in 1972 and has served several times as its president; he is currently its archivist. He has received any awards, such as the George Estabrook Distinguished Alumni Award in 1996 and the Hofstra Alumni Achievement Award in 2001.

Active in the New York State School Music Association since 1970, Deutsch is a founding member of NYSSMA’s Music Technology Committee. He is also a member and judge of NYSSMA’s Composition and Improvisation Committee. He is a regular clinician in composition sessions at NYSSMA’s All-State Conference and an all-state brass and jazz adjudicator for that organization.