Huneker, James Gibbons

1860-

An American musical writer and critic; born at Philadelphia. His parents were John and Mary (Gibbons) Huneker, of Irish and Hungarian ancestry. There seems to be some doubt as to the year of his  birth, some authorities giving 1859. Was placed in Roth's Military Academy, where he remained until 1874. The next year he began a three years' course in the Law Academy of Philadelphia. He had been studying piano with Michael Cross and felt justified in continuing the study abroad. In 1878 he entered the Paris Conservatory, receiving instruction for the piano from Theodore Ritter, and theory from Leopold Doutreleau. While in Paris he earned a living by corresponding for American newspapers. Returning to America he located permanently in New York City, where for ten years, 1888 to 1898, he was a piano instructor at the National Conservatory. Here he was associated with Rafael Joseffy, from whom he   gained much instruction and advice. In 1887 Huneker joined the staff of the New York Musical Courier, becoming an associate editor in 1902. He held positions as dramatic and musical critic on the New York Recorder and Morning Advertiser. He was musical editor and eventually dramatic editor of the New York Sun. In spite of such a busy life he found time to do some interesting writing. Mezzotints in Modern Music is a collection of essays, and Chopin, the Man and His Music, is a most sympathetic life of Chopin, of interest to all, whether musician or otherwise. His Melomaniacs is a collection of clever stories on musical subjects, somewhat satirizing the musical profession.