Dr. John Baur, Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music Creative Arts Receiving the award for the creative arts is Dr. John Baur, Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music John Baur was awarded a Doctor of Musical Arts in Composition in 1977 by the University of Cincinnati . Since coming to the University of Memphis in 1979, Baur has won numerous grants and commissions for compositions while teaching, advising, and publishing. Dr. Baur's full-length opera, The Promise, for which he wrote both the music and the libretto, premiered in October 2004. In his nomination letter, Keith Lee Grant, head of the theatre program at CCNY, characterized the opera in this way: “[Baur's] musicianship as a composer is brilliant. The stunning images and complex poetic structure of his libretto are among the best I have ever heard. Finally, and most importantly, Dr. Baur has created an opera for the people of this country that will not only stand the test of time but a work of art that aspires to reach out and instruct and heal the conflicts between the races for generations to come.” Congratulations, Dr. Baur .