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Taylor, Helen, 1915-1950

 Person

Dates

  • Existence: 1915 - 1950

Biographical History

Helen Taylor (1915-1950) was a composer and music professor in Utah.

Helen Marie Taylor was born in 1915 in Salt Lake City, Utah. She studied piano at the McCune School of Music, after which she completed a Master's degree at Columbia University. She was on the faculty at Columbia Teachers College in the Fall of 1941 to the Spring of 1942. She attended Julliard from 1942-1945, which is where she composed her first symphony. It was also here that she met her future husband, Grant Johannesen, who was a worldclass concert pianist. Taylor and Johannesen were married and returned to Utah in 1946. The couple had one son, David. She later started working as a teacher for the McCune School and continued composing. She was recognized for her violin sonata in 1948 with a National Association of Composers and Conductors Award. She died on October 5, 1950 in a car accident.

Citation:
Deseret News archives for May 7, 2006, viewed May 11, 2011 (Helen Taylor; b.1915 Salt Lake City, Utah; studied piano, McCune School of Music; Master's degree, Columbia University; faculty at Columbia Teachers College, Fall 1941 to Spring 1942; attended Julliard, 1942-1945; m. Grant Johannesen; returned to Utah, 1946; one son, David; teacher at McCune School; won National Association of Composers and Conductors Award for violin sonata, 1948; d.Oct. 5, 1950 in a car accident)

FamilySearch, via WWW, Apr. 22, 2020 (Helen Marie Taylor; baptised member of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1923)

Found in 1 Collection or Record:

Helen Taylor papers

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSS 7829
Scope and Contents

This collection contains correspondence including between Helen and her husband, photographs, newspaper clippings for Grant Johannesen, a scrapbook of Helen's funeral services, hand written notebooks and sketches of musical scores, and digital printouts of scores , program notes, University of Utah and Julliard diploma certificates, a CD of recordings of Helen Taylor compositions, and other papers relating to Helen Taylor, 1937-2003.

Dates: 1937-2003
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / Helen Taylor papers

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