William MacPherson
Assistant Professor of Music
Degrees
Ph.D., Harvard University
A.M., Harvard University
A.B., Brown University
Main Interests
Music history in the Western European tradition, especially that of the 16th-18th centuries; my doctoral research was on 17th-c. English popular and dance music. Organ and piano performance and instruction. Accompanying and chamber music. Music criticism and writing about music. Music technology.
Teaching Interests
At Wheaton and elsewhere I have taught the whole gamut of undergraduate courses in Western European music history and theory, from introductory surveys to upper-level courses in literature, harmony, and counterpoint. I enjoy teaching and interacting with both majors and non-majors. Twice (2003 and 2006) I have taught a First-Year Seminar on Richard Wagner and the controversies surrounding his life and works.