In Memoriam - Walter Ehret
 
1918 - 2009

Founding ACDA member Walter Ehret passed away on November 16th, 2009. He was born in New York City in 1918 to Adele Tonies and her husband, and later adopted by his step-father, Charles Ehret.

A graduate of Juilliard and Teachers College, Columbia University, he taught instrumental and choral music in New Jersey and New York for over 40 years. He also served as an adjunct faculty member at Hofstra University, Manhattanville College, and Teachers College, Columbia University. He retired as Coordinator of Music for the Scarsdale, New York public schools in 1984.

Choirs under Ehret's direction performed in Carnegie Hall and Madison Square Garden, as well as on radio and television. They were invited to sing at New Jersey and New York State School Music Association conventions, divisional meetings of the Music Educators National Conference, and the first ACDA national convention. Ehret served as the first ACDA New York state president from 1961-1966.

Walter Ehret was the beloved husband of his wife Beverly, father of David Ehret and Christine Marver, daughter-in-law Pamela Ehret, and grandfather of Jeffrey, Julia, and Sarah Marver. Contributions to his memory may be forwarded to the Eye Research Institute, 20 Staniford Street, Boston, MA 02114.

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The following is excerpted from www.namm.org/library/oral-history/walter-ehret. NAMM is the trade association of the international music products industry.

"Walter Ehret was the music arrangers' equivalent to Mel Blanc - the man with a thousand voices. Walter was the man with a thousand pseudonyms. Under his various names, he arranged for most of the major publishers over a career that spanned over 50 years. His work was mostly centered around choral music. He had a strong interest in bringing to light lost works and works of composers who had gone largely unnoticed. He was a pioneer in music publishing and a man with great talent. His NAMM Oral History was completed on June 9, 2007..."

Last revised April 11, 2013