Performances + Events
The New England Conservatory community is saddened by the loss of composer and faculty emeritus Malcolm Peyton, who died on January 26 at age 93. A beloved pedagogue, Peyton joined the NEC faculty in 1965, teaching composition and music theory. He served as chair of NEC’s Composition Department for more than 30 years, starting in 1980.
A recipient of awards from the National Foundation for the Arts and American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, Peyton’s music, including Apostroph, Four Songs from Shakespeare, Songs from Walt Whitman, and Sonnets from John Donne, among other works, has been performed across the United States and Europe.
In 2018, with a gift from Susanna Peyton and John Y. Campbell, NEC established the Malcolm Peyton Composer Artist-in-Residence program, which recognizes his devotion to the Conservatory and the continued pursuit of excellence in the Composition Department at NEC.
NEC awarded Peyton an honorary doctorate in 2016 acknowledging the impact of his work as a composer and his contributions, as a composer and a teacher, to the field of music.
Peyton’s legacy will be honored during a concert at NEC on May 1. An announcement about a memorial event is forthcoming.
Malcolm Peyton is survived by his wife, singer Barbara Winchester, five daughters and sons-in-law, 14 grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the Peyton Family has asked that donations be made to NEC. Please indicate in your check memo or online that your gift is “in memory of Malcolm Peyton.”
