author
William Bender
A sharp-eyed music critic and editor, he helped bring classical, popular, and rock music to a broad American audience. His writing and broadcast work linked concert halls, magazines, and television at a time when music journalism was rapidly changing.
1 Audiobook
The incredible aliens
by William Bender
About the author
William Bender was an American music critic born in 1930 and died in 2014. He wrote for the New York Herald Tribune and the World Journal Tribune, then served as chief music critic for Time magazine from 1968 to 1978, where he covered a wide range of musical life rather than staying in a single niche.
Alongside his magazine work, he reviewed for American Record Guide and worked on music programming for television. He is also noted for writing an Emmy Award-winning documentary on conductor Leopold Stokowski, showing how comfortably he moved between print criticism and broadcast storytelling.
His career stands out for its range: he wrote about major performers, followed developments in classical music, and helped interpret music culture for general readers. Even in brief biographical notes, he comes across as a critic who combined deep musical knowledge with an ability to make the subject approachable.