author
Marion Bauer
1882–1955
A pioneering American composer, teacher, and critic, she helped shape musical life in the United States while opening doors for women in classical music. Her work ranged from songs and piano pieces to orchestral music, and her writing brought modern music to a wider audience.
1 Audiobook
How music grew, from prehistoric times to the present day
by Marion Bauer, Ethel R. (Ethel Rose) Peyser
About the author
Born in Walla Walla, Washington, Marion Bauer became one of the notable voices in American classical music in the first half of the twentieth century. She built a career not only as a composer, but also as a teacher, writer, and critic, with music for piano, chamber groups, orchestra, and voice.
Bauer studied in the United States and in Paris, and her music is often described as combining lyric warmth with modern ideas. Alongside composing, she taught for many years at New York University and wrote about contemporary music in books, essays, and reviews, helping audiences and students engage with newer musical styles.
She was also an important advocate for women in music at a time when the field offered few leadership roles to women. That mix of creativity, scholarship, and public influence has made her an important figure in the story of American music.