author
William J. Henderson
A major voice in American music criticism, he helped shape how opera and classical music were understood by newspaper readers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His books brought musical history, composers, and performance to a wide audience in a lively, accessible way.
1 Audiobook
Strange stories of the Civil War
by Robert Shackleton, L. E. (Lucius Eugene) Chittenden, William Drysdale, G. A. Forsyth, John Habberton, William J. Henderson, Lucy C. (Lucy Cecil) Lillie, Howard Patterson
About the author
Born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1855, William James Henderson studied at Princeton and began his career in journalism soon after graduating. He moved from reporting into music writing at a time when serious musical criticism was becoming an important part of American newspaper culture.
Henderson went on to serve as music critic for The New York Times and later The New York Sun, where he became known for informed, confident writing on opera, composers, and concert life. He also lectured on music history and was elected to the National Institute of Arts and Letters, reflecting the respect he earned as both a critic and scholar.
Alongside his newspaper work, he wrote widely on music for general readers, including books on Richard Wagner, opera, and the history of music. That mix of scholarship and readability helped make him one of the best-known American music writers of his era.