Heinrich Schenker (19 June 1868, in Wiśniowczyk (present-day Vyshnivchyk, Ukraine) – 14 January 1935, in Vienna) was a music theorist, music critic, teacher, pianist, and composer. He is best known for his approach to musical analysis, now usually called Schenkerian analysis.

After graduating the University of Vienna with a law degree, Schenker devoted himself entirely to music. His first major opportunity came with Maximilian Harden, editor of Die Zukunft [The Future] who published his earliest writings.^[18] Publications in other periodicals followed. Surviving letters in Schenker's archive suggest that during his schooling Schenker had no income and survived purely by gifts from supporters.^[19] He continued this practice after graduating. Schenker dedicated his Inventions op. 5 to Irene Graedener (maiden name Mayerhofer). On her death (August 9, 1923), he recalled in his diary that it was at her house that he was able to find himself and realize his future calling.^[20] At this point in his career, Schenker saw himself primarily as a composer and tried to ingratiate himself as a means of promoting his compositions. Several letters attest to his meetings with Eduard Hanslick.