Marilyn Taft Thomas

2023 Alumni Service Award

Along with a busy creative career as a composer working with orchestra, choir, piano, voice, brass band and chamber ensembles, Carnegie Mellon Professor Emerita of Music Marilyn Taft Thomas has contributed many years as a volunteer for the CMU community.

As an alumna and faculty member, Marilyn knows the importance of fundraising to the CMU experience. She was an active member of several giving committees including the Class of 1964 Reunion Giving Committee (for both her 30th and 50th reunions), the Faculty & Staff Annual Fund Committee (for seven years) and on the Andrew Carnegie Society Executive Board from 2003 to 2010. She also was a Centennial Campaign major gift volunteer and led two major fundraising campaigns for the School of Music. She served as president of the ACS from 2008 to 2010, helping grow the giving society to nearly 2,300 members. She is also a former member of the CMU Board of Trustees.

Marilyn joined the CMU faculty in 1981 and has held numerous administrative positions including head of the School of Music from 1988 to 1996, director of graduate studies from 1997 to 2000 and interim head of the School of Music from 2006 to 2007. As a teacher, Marilyn’s innovative teaching methods were recognized by the Associated Press and honored with the prestigious Henry Hornbostel Teaching Award.

She has received numerous composing commissions from organizations and institutions including the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Carnegie Mellon University, Center for American Music, Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, River City Brass Band and Strings Music Festival in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. She was executive director of Pittsburgh’s noted River City Brass Band from 2000 to 2003.

Marilyn is a prolific author with two books, “Leadership in the Arts: An Inside View” and “Spiritual Moments: By the Congregation of the Greenock United Methodist Church”; several collections of essays, poetry and travel journals; and more than 20 articles and papers on composition, technology, computer music, music education and women in music.

Since retiring from Carnegie Mellon, Marilyn has returned to active performing, including lecture-performances of “Broadway Through the Ages.” She has given 23 of these performances for senior citizens in retirement facilities throughout the Pittsburgh region and as far as Charlotte, North Carolina.

Marilyn graduated from the Carnegie Mellon University School of Music in 1964 with two bachelor of fine arts degrees in music composition and piano performance. She received a master of fine arts degree in music composition from CMU the following year. In 1982, Marilyn became the first woman to complete a Ph.D. in music composition from the University of Pittsburgh.