Bruce died April 14, 2019, in Winston-Salem, N.C., of a cerebral vascular accident at the age of 72.
Born in Chicago, Bruce completed undergraduate studies in music at the Peabody Conservatory before beginning graduate work at Princeton. Studying music theory under noted composer Milton Babbitt *92, Bruce earned a Ph.D. in music in 1985. His dissertation topic was “Hearing Aggregates: Case Studies in the Definition of Progression in Twelvetone Music.”
Bruce participated as a speaker at music theory conferences. At the time of his death he was working on books on jazz and the Austrian composer Ernst Krenek. A voracious reader, Bruce’s favorite writers included Carlos Fuentes, Vladimir Nabokov, and William H. Gass.
Bruce is survived by his wife of 26 years, Lynn Stevens-Samet, and his son, Ash Samet.
Graduate memorials are prepared by the APGA.