The New International Encyclopædia/Apthorp, William Foster

APTHORP, William Foster (1848—). An American writer and musical critic, born in Boston, Mass. He graduated at Harvard in 1869 and studied music under J. K. Paine and B. J. Lang. He is well known as the author of Hector Berlioz: Selections from His Letters and Writings, with a biographical sketch, a pioneer work in English on this composer; and books of musical criticism, including Musicians and Music Lovers and The Opera, Past and Present. He has lectured at the Lowell Institute, Boston, and the Peabody Institute, Baltimore, and has taught at the New England Conservatory, Boston, and the College of Music of Boston University. From 1892 to 1901 he wrote the analyses of musical compositions which appeared in the programme of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. In 1881 he became musical critic of the Boston Transcript.