Larry Polansky, born on October 16, 1954, was an American composer and guitarist. He graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a degree in mathematics and music in 1977. Polansky's early career included serving on the faculty of Dartmouth College, where he held the title of Emeritus Strauss Professor of Music upon his retirement. He returned to UCSC and served on their music faculty from 2013 to 2019. A founding member and co-director of Frog Peak Music, a composers' collective, Polansky co-wrote HMSL (Hierarchical Music Specification Language) with Phil Burk and David Rosenboom. His notable works include The World’s Longest Melody, Four-Voice Canons, and The Theory of Impossible Melody. He also served as co-producer of Asmat Dream: New Music Indonesia, Vol. I. Polansky died on May 9, 2024, at the age of 69.
