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Gilbert Chase

1906 – 1992

American music historian

Music historianMusicologist
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About Gilbert Chase

Lived 1906 – 1992 (aged 85). Gilbert Chase was an American music historian and musicologist.

Gilbert Chase (4 September 1906, Havana, Cuba – 22 February 1992, Chapel Hill, North Carolina ) was an American music historian, critic and author, and a "seminal figure in the field of musicology and ethnomusicology." He was the maternal cousin of the writer and diarist Anaïs Nin.

His America's Music, from the Pilgrims to the Present was the first major work to examine the music of the entire United States and argue that folk traditions were more culturally significant than music for the concert hall. Chase's analysis of a diverse American musical identity has remained the dominant view among the academic establishment. He also "was the first to treat the music of Charles Ives and Carl Ruggles as important additions to the 20th-century repertory". The Music of Spain remains a seminal and much-used text.

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Music historian, musicologist
Nationality
Employers
University of Oklahoma, Tulane University
Awards
Honorary doctor of the University of Miami

People in Gilbert Chase's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Gilbert Chase's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Gilbert Chase?

American music historian (1906-1992)

When was Gilbert Chase born?

Gilbert Chase was born on 4 September 1906 in Havana.

When did Gilbert Chase die?

Gilbert Chase died on 22 February 1992 in Chapel Hill.

What was Gilbert Chase's occupation?

Gilbert Chase was a music historian and musicologist.

What nationality was Gilbert Chase?

Gilbert Chase was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Gilbert Chase

· Wikidata: Q5560851

· DBpedia: Gilbert Chase

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Gilbert Chase. https://biography.guide/gilbert-chase/

MLA: "Gilbert Chase." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/gilbert-chase/.

Chicago: "Gilbert Chase." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/gilbert-chase/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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