William J. Henderson

Born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1855, William James Henderson was an American music critic, scholar, and author. He graduated from Princeton in 1876 and went on to build a long career in journalism, becoming music critic for The New York Times and later for The New York Sun.

Henderson wrote widely about music for readers who wanted clear, practical explanations rather than academic jargon. His books include How Music Developed, The Orchestra and Orchestral Music, and Richard Wagner: His Life and His Dramas, reflecting his deep interest in opera, musical history, and the way great composers shaped listening habits.

He was also a teacher and lecturer on music history, and his influence reached beyond newspaper criticism into American musical culture more broadly. For audiobook listeners today, his work offers a window into how classical music was introduced to curious audiences in his own time.