Early music scholar James Tyler dies at 70

James Tyler, a versatile musician who was the founding director of the early music program at the University of Southern California, has died. He was 70. 

Tyler died Nov. 23 after a short illness, said his wife of 35 years, Joyce.  Tyler was best known for playing lute and he specialized in early music performances, which generally include about 800 years of compositions covering the Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque periods, until 1750.

- Los Angeles Times