Murray Baylor, an accomplished pianist, composer, and editor of piano
literature, was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and received his bachelors,
masters, and doctoral degrees from the University of Iowa. Before
taking a position at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, Baylor studied
piano with Alberto Jones in New York City, Nadia Boulanger and Robert Casadesus
in France, and he chaired the music department at William Penn College
in Oskaloosa, Iowa. In 1942, Baylor joined the faculty of Knox College,
where he remained for 38 years until his retirement in 1980. He chaired
the music department for 21 years and was named the Ferris Booth Distinguished
Service Professor of Music.
While at Knox, Baylor was instrumental in creating a program that integrated
the demands of musical performance with the spirit of the liberal arts.
Baylor insisted on combining scholarship and musicianship into a cohesive
unit, thus providing students with a solid musical education in a liberal
arts setting. In addition to his music instruction, Baylor conducted
a highly popular interdisciplinary series of courses on the humanities.
Baylor performed both as a solo pianist and with the Knox Galesburg
Symphony. Baylors published editions of piano music by Schubert,
Scriabin, Satie and, most notably, a precedent-setting collection of works
by Rachmaninoff, stand as examples of printed music which is clear, accurate,
and designed to be used both in concert and as teaching material.
Murray Baylor died in 1992, following a long illness. He is survived
by his wife Elisabeth Barbou Baylor and his three sons, Denis, Michael
and Stephen.