Author. An esteemed music writer, she shall be remembered for her controversial biographies of three 20th Century composers and conductors. Born Joan Goldstein (her father changed her surname to Gilbert to shield her from anti-Semitism), she began studying the piano at five and at 13 gave her debut recital at New York's Town Hall. After graduating from Manhattan's fabled High School of Music and Arts she earned her undergraduate degree from Barnard College in 1951 then received a master's in musicology from Columbia University in 1956. While still a student Peyser began publishing pieces in such publications as the "New York Times", "Vogue", and "Opera News", often drawing upon psychological insights gained from her husband, psychiatrist Herbert Peyser (divorced early 1970s). In 1966 she won the first of her six Deems Taylor Awards for an article on Marc Blitzstein and in 1976 published "Boulez: Composer, Conductor, Enigma", a study of Pierre Boulez that established her biographical pattern of revealing character interpretations rather than merely listing accomplishments. Between 1977 and 1984 she served as editor of "The Musical Quarterly"; her 1986 "The Orchestra: Origins and Transformations" was a telling of how music making has evolved over the centuries while 1987's "Bernstein: A Biography" drew fire for her focus on the negative aspects of the then still living conductor's life. Undaunted by criticism she continued her work and in 1993 released "The Memory of All That: The Life of George Gershwin", a volume that called upon multiple sources including biographical hints hidden within Ira Gershwin's lyrics. Again she was taken to task for painting a most unflattering portrait but again she stuck by her work. A collection of Peyser's articles entitled "The Music of My Time" was published in 1996. She died of the complications of heart surgery. Speaking of her book on George Gershwin in words she stated could apply equally to that on Leonard Bernstein she said: "What I have written is an interpretation of a life that was much sadder than anyone dreamed".