Dr. Wayne Petty

Biography

Wayne C. Petty earned BA, MPhil, PhD degrees from Yale University, studying under prominent figures such as Allen Forte and David Lewin. His 1995 dissertation, "Compositional Techniques of the Keyboard Sonatas of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach," reflects his research interests in Schenkerian theory, early sonata practice, and the analysis of musical form. He frequently presents at the annual meetings of the Society for Music Theory and was a speaker at the 2012 plenary session honoring Carl Schachter. Petty has been a part of the University of Michigan since 1995, where he teaches in the music theory curriculum and graduate seminars focused on various topics, including multimovement instrumental works and contemporary music theory. He has authored the three-volume draft, Basic Tonal Analysis, which is used as a reference work at numerous institutions. Petty has held various roles at the University of Michigan, including chair of the Council of Departmental Representatives and chair of the Department of Music Theory. Additionally, he has been involved with the Society for Music Theory, serving on several committees and editing for the society's publications. He is currently the treasurer of the Academy of Early Music and regularly speaks at the Gilmore Keyboard Festival. In his spare time, Petty enjoys spending time with family, playing music on the piano and clavichord, and participating in recreational softball.

Research Interests