Rowan S. Taylor (1927–2005) was an American composer and conductor. Taylor composed over 250

symphonies A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, most often for orchestra. Although the term has had many meanings from its origins in the ancient Greek era, by the late 18th century the word had taken on the meaning com ...

in addition to his concertos, songs, chamber works,

operas Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libretti ...

, choral works, and ballets. His works have been performed all over the world. Taylor received both his bachelor's and master's degrees from Brigham Young University. He studied at UCLA for three years before teaching at Pierce College where he taught for 39 years. He has been honored for his teaching and his works. In his personal life, Taylor was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He married Priscilla Pulliam in 1957 and had nine children.

Biography

Taylor was born in Ogden, Utah, in 1927. After attaining his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts at Brigham Young University, he spent three years studying at UCLA before he moved to Whittier, California, to teach at Los Angeles Pierce College. He taught there for 39 years. During the Korean War, Taylor served as a Chaplain's assistant in the United States Army.

The Book of Lights ''The Book of Lights'' is a 1981 novel by Chaim Potok about a young rabbi and student of Kabbalah whose service as a United States military chaplain in Korea and Japan after the Korean War challenges his thinking about the meaning of faith in a wor ...

, by Chaim Potok, features a character based on Taylor. Taylor married Priscilla Pulliam, a pianist, in 1957 and had nine children. The Taylors sometimes performed as a musical family. Taylor's work has been performed by symphonies all over the world, and he is considered to be one of the most prolific modern symphonists. Taylor was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints with pioneer ancestry. He was one of the contributors to ''Mormoniana'', a book of music written exclusively by Mormon composers and artists. He was the president of the Association of Mormon Composers and Performers. He also co-edited a special dialogue issue of ''A Journal of Mormon Thought'' in 1975.

Works

Throughout his life, Taylor wrote over 250 symphonies, 46 concertos, thousands of individual songs, and hundreds of chamber works.

Notable works

* ''Coriantumr'', an oratorio based on a passage in the Book of Mormon * ''Papa and the Playhouse'', a musical about the

Salt Lake Theater Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quantitie ...

* ''O God, Where Art Thou?'', a cantata * ''San Bernardino'', a full-length pageant * ''Poetry and Penny Candy'', a children's ballet * ''The Birthmark,'' an opera about Nathaniel Hawthorne

Honors

Taylor was reportedly awarded the following honors: * Best teacher at Pierce College, fifth best teacher in the United States, 2001, www.gradeyourprof.com * International Man of the Year, 1991 and 1992 * World Who's Who Hall of Fame, 1996, International Biographical Centre * Outstanding Man of the Century, 21st Century

References

External links

Rowan Taylor scores, MSS 7771

L. Tom Perry Special Collections The L. Tom Perry Special Collections is the special collections department of Brigham Young University (BYU)'s Harold B. Lee Library in Provo, Utah. Founded in 1957 with 1,000 books and 50 manuscript collections, as of 2016 the Library's special ...

Harold B. Lee Library The Harold B. Lee Library (HBLL) is the main academic library of Brigham Young University (BYU) located in Provo, Utah. The library started as a small collection of books in the president's office in 1876 before moving in 1891. The Heber J. Gran ...

, Brigham Young University
Mormon Artists Group: Adventures in Art Making
''Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought'', Fall 2006, University of Illinois Press, JSTOR {{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Rowan 20th-century American composers American Latter Day Saint hymnwriters American male composers Peirce College people Brigham Young University alumni Latter Day Saints from California Harold B. Lee Library-related music articles 1927 births 2005 deaths