Background and Education

Williametta Spencer graduated from High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan where she was a piano student of Jeannette Haien and a clarinet student of Dwight Dailey from the University of Michigan, and was a member of a Piano Trio coached by Elisabeth Holborn.

After moving to California,  she attended Whittier College earning a B.A. degree with a major in piano and composition.  At Whittier she studied piano with Margaretha Lohmann and  composition with MaryO VanDeman.  Following that she earned a M.M. Degree in composition at the University of Southern California studying with Ernst Kanitz, Halsey Stevens, Ingolf Dahl, and Pauline Alderman and composed a String Quartet for the Master's Thesis.

A Fulbright Scholarship  followed for  composition study in Paris, France with Tony Aubin and the Master Piano Class of Alfred Cortot.

Dr Spencer  earned the PhD degree also at the University of Southern California where she was a student of Arend Kolle, Pierre Tagmann writing a dissertation on the title: The Influence and Stylistic Heritage of Andre Caplet. Extensive study in 20th Century Art History and a composition were also included.