Early-Music Specialist Milton Scheuermann has Died, Aged 91

Scheuermann founded the New Orleans Musica da Camera, America's oldest surviving early-music group

The pianist, recorder player, architect, and radio host Milton Scheuermann has passed away peacefully in his sleep, at the age of 91.

Scheuermann was born in New Orleans in 1933, and his first music lessons were on the piano. He studied with the well-known local pianist Gordon Kirst and began taking on his own piano students when he was in the eighth grade.

After studying architecture at Tulane University, Scheuermann was drafted into the Army in 1956, and spent the next two years in Germany. During this time, he purchased a Renaissance-style recorder, and a lifelong love of early music began.

Upon his return to New Orleans Scheuermann joined the Woodvine Recorder Consort, and in 1966 he founded the New Orleans Musica da Camera. The organization is still running and holds the distinction of being America's oldest surviving early-music association.

In 1976, Scheuermann hosted the first episode of Continuum, an early-music program for New Orleans Public Radio. Alongside co-host Thais St. Julien, Scheuermann made more than 2,000 episodes of Continuum over 48 years — making the show the longest-running early-music radio program in America.

Continuum won the Early Music America/Millennium of Music National Radio Competition and also received the KXMS Fine Arts Radio International Award.

Scheuermann fitted all this work in alongside his day job as a faculty member in the Tulane School of Architecture, where he taught for 56 years.

Our condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues.