W. J. (William James) Henderson

Born in 1855, William James Henderson built a long career as a journalist, music critic, and author. He is especially remembered for his writing on classical music and opera, and for his years as a critic for the New York Sun, where he became a well-known voice in American musical life.

Alongside newspaper work, he wrote widely in book form. His publications ranged from studies of composers and musical history to fiction and writing for younger readers, showing an unusual ability to move between criticism, storytelling, and popular explanation.

Henderson died in 1937, leaving behind a body of work that reflects a time when newspapers and books played a major role in introducing audiences to concert music. Today he is often noted not only as a critic, but as a writer who helped make music more understandable and engaging for general readers.