Mary T. Guerrant

Mary received her BA degree from Austin College in 1946, her Master of Music degree at Texas Tech University in 1971, and her Ph.D degree in fine arts in 1976. Mary studied piano with Rosalyn Tureck in London, England, Bomar Cramer of Dallas, Louis Catuogno of Texas Tech, and Dr. Jan Philipp Schinhan at the University of North Carolina.

Mary's private teachings were in Sherman, TX from 1952 to1968, and, Lubbock, TX from 1975 to 1983. She taught at Austin College from 1957 to 1958 as Instructor of Piano; at Tunghai University in Taiwan from 1976 to 1977 as Associate Professor of Piano and as Composition; and visiting professor in the Department of Music at Tunghai University from 1984 to 1986, where she taught Piano Literature, 20th Century Music, Piano, Composition and team teaching Piano Pedagogy.

Mary was honored the Heard Fellow in English and was inducted into Alpha Chi Honor Society and, Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges. She was awarded; the Adjudicator for the National Guild of Piano Teachers, 1966, Distinguished Alumnae Award, Austin, College in 1979, and the Master Teacher Certification and Music Teacher's National Association in 1983. She was listed in: The World's Who's Who of Musicians; The World's Who's Who of Women; and Dictionary of International Biography. Mary had memberships in: Texas Music Teachers Association; Music Teacher's National Association; Teacher's Division of the American College of Musicians (National Guild of Piano Teachers); and the American Music Scholarship Association. Her publications were: "Teaching in Taiwan", Music and Audiophile, June 1977, also published in Piano Guild Notes, Jan – Feb 1977; "How Secure Is Your Memory?", Piano Quarterly, Summer 1979; "Who Says Your Hands Are Too Small?", Clavier, May – June 1979; "What Constitutes a Compelling Piano Performance?", The American Music Teacher, April – May 1980; "Art and Reality: The Culmination of a Concept in Beethoven's Last Works", The American Music Teacher, 1980; "Three Aspects of Music in Ancient China and Greece", Symposium (Journal of The College Music Society), Fall 1980; and "Building Blocks for Technique", Clavier, April 1983.

Dr. Guerrant's chamber opera, a musical setting of a 14th century English mystery play, is entitled The Shepards and was performed in 1976 by the Texas Tech Music Theatre and with the members of the Texas Tech Symphony Orchestra.

A woodwind ensemble, Pecos Ruins, was performed on the 23rd Annual Symposium of Contemporary Music in 1974 at Texas Tech.

Mary was married to Dr. William B. Guerrant, Jr. Mary and Barnett had retired in Albuquerque, New Mexico and lived there happily for many years. After his death in 2012, Mary moved to Austin and lived at Buckner Villas until her death. She traveled extensively all over the world.

Mary is survived by her son, Will and wife Theresa Orozco Guerrant; grandchildren, Stephanie Guerrant Matthews, and Lauren Marie Guerrant; sisters, Elizabeth Cunningham of Bryan, TX and Helen Goodwin of Decatur, GA