Walter W. Schurr

Walter W. Schurr has been active in church music for more than 35 years. He first became organist-and later, director-in a small Methodist church at age 12. Since then his musical career has taken him to Arizona, New Jersey, and Virginia, serving mostly in Methodist, Baptist, and Presbyterian churches. Billy, as he is called by those who know him, has enjoyed varied musical activities as a pianist, organist, conductor, composer, and musicologist. He is a recognized innovator of music and worship alternatives, and leads choral workshops for churches across the country. A native of Annapolis, Maryland, Schurr earned his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, and a Ph.D. from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He has served on the faculty of both schools. He lives in northern Virginia with his wife and two children.