Machlis Joseph (11 August 1906, Riga — 17 October 1998, New York) — musicologist and professor. Honorary Professor of Music at Queens College (New York).

As a child, Joseph Machlis was taken to the United States. He studied piano and in 1927 graduated from City College of New York. He received a scholarship from the Steinway company to study in France. During his studies he supported himself by giving private lessons and by writing short stories, which he submitted to newspapers and magazines.

He entered the graduate program at Columbia University (New York) in the Department of English and attended seminars by the renowned musicologist Paul Henry Lang. He later worked as a lecturer and led a summer seminar at City College. At the same time, he developed a new approach to teaching music history, structuring the course from contemporary works backward to earlier periods, thereby motivating students.

From 1938 to 1973 he held a teaching position at Queens College, and later taught at the Juilliard School (New York). In 1951 he wrote the book The Enjoyment of Music, based on his course. The book was highly successful, reprinted seven times, supplemented with a compact disc and cassette, used in 1,200 classrooms, and became one of the best-selling books on music.

He was also the author of Introduction to Contemporary Music (1961), Composers of Our Time (1963), Getting to Know Music, Allegro, and six novels written under the pseudonym George Selcamm (a phonetic reversal of “Machlis”).

Selected work: Moonlight on the Nile; A Christmas Story; Believe it or Not The Baton. Julliard School of Music. V. 10. №. 2. Lit.: Kozinn А. Joseph Machlis, 92, Music Textbook Author The New York Times. Oct. 19, 1998; Obituary Notice for Joseph Machlis The (London) Independent. Nov. 5, 1998. Parents' Magazine Music Appreciation Library LP record Vol. 3 “The Story Of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart In Words And Music”. Written by Joseph Machlis, Professor of Music, Queens College of the City of New York. Narrated by Norman Rose. Colpix Records Mono CP 442, Issued 1961-62. The Norton Recordings to Accompany the Norton Scores and the Enjoyment of Music Author: Joseph MacHlis,Kristine Forney Publisher: W W Norton & Co Inc Publication Date: 1999-02-01 Language: English Format: Audio ISBN-10: 039310270X ISBN-13: 9780393102703 ePID: 1916732 Joseph Machlis The Career of Magda V. New York: W.W. Norton & Co. 313 pages, HB, DJ © 1985 Fifty-Seventh Street By George Selcamm Published by W. W. Norton & Company, 1971 ISBN 039308633X, 9780393086331 344 pages The world of the professional musician is a dedication, a frustration, a business, and a way of life. In this novel, the author takes us behind the scenes of this world, revealing a milieu dominated by the relentless search for artistic and personal success. Lisa's boy By Joseph Machlis Published by W. W. Norton & Company, 1982 ISBN 0393016064, 9780393016062 413 pages David Gordin struggles to live up to his mother's dreams and expectations by succeeding in the competitive world of music Stefan in love: a novel By Joseph Machlis Published by W. W. Norton & Company, 1991 ISBN 0393030059, 9780393030051 236 pages A beautiful woman rescues Stefan from his midlife crisis in Hungary, but when they flee together to the United States, the romance crumbles, leaving Stefan in an even deeper state of despair Photo: Joseph Machlis (Ed Quinn, 1991)