A remembrance of Mary K. Oyer
At a moment like this, it is natural to lionize Mary. A lion — imagine a female lion — is an appropriate metaphor.
At a moment like this, it is natural to lionize Mary. A lion — imagine a female lion — is an appropriate metaphor.
Mary K. Oyer, professor emerita of music, died on January 11, 2024, in Goshen at the age of 100. Oyer taught at Goshen College from 1945 to 1987, during which time she developed a Fine Arts course that became legendary among students and was instrumental in bringing wide recognition and acceptance of the fine arts in a Mennonite liberal arts education.
"Mary Oyer’s passionate quest and openness to expanding the musical canon, the 'sound pool,' of the Mennonite church and of Goshen College to be more than mere perfect imitation will prove to be, in my estimation, one of her greatest legacies."
The Goshen College Symphony Orchestra (GCSO) will present a concert of orchestral works by American composers in their spring concert, on Friday, April 13 at 7:30 p.m. in the Goshen College Music Center’s Sauder Concert Hall.
In honor of Mary K. Oyer’s 90th birthday, guests are invited by the Goshen College Music Department and Music Center to take part in a weekend of events to recognize her extraordinary life and legacy: