Charles Joseph Huerter (1885-1974), composer, pianist, and teacher, was born in Brooklyn, New York. After receiving piano instruction from his father and completing his secondary education in New York City and Geneva, New York, he entered Syracuse University, where he studied piano under Joseph C. Seiter and Adolf Frey and composition with William Berwald. He continued his musical studies at the Royal Academy at Charlottenburg in Berlin with composer Paul Juon. Also in Europe he studied piano with Karl Heymann.
As a composer he wrote some two thousand works, including piano pieces and exercises, songs, and compositions for violin, violincello, solo performers, choral groups, and orchestra. Using his own texts for many of his songs and choral works, he had more than 700 published titles. His songs were used in the motion pictures"The Sea Hawk," the original version of "The Jazz Singer," and the original "Beau Geste."
A fifty-six-year resident of Syracuse, New York, for many years he taught piano and composition there and early in his career served as an organist and choirmaster.
From the guide to the Charles Huerter Papers, 1898-1970, (Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries)
