[1] He also studied at the Hochschule für Musik Berlin (1926–63); the Berkshire Music Center (1962 and 1963); and the Darmstadt Summer School (1964).
He considered Arnold Franchetti to be his most important instructor; others under whom he studied included Witold Lutosławski, Gunther Schuller, Aaron Copland, Lukas Foss, Roger Sessions, and Milton Babbitt.
Coming under the influence of his teacher Franchetti, he began in 1961 to compose in a freely atonal and dissonant style; a notable work in this vein is the 1971 Refrains for orchestra.
Later in his career he returned to tonality in his music; pieces exemplifying this change include Zalmen for violin (1975); Songs of Remembrance for soprano and strings (1976-1979), a commission to celebrate the bicentennial of the United States; and Hashkivenu for tenor, chorus, and double bass (1981).
[2] Composers cited as an influence on Dinerstein's choral music include Igor Stravinsky and Arnold Schoenberg.