William Henry Fry
Portrait photograph of William Henry Fry For the woodcarver and gilder, see William H. Fry. William Henry Fry (August 10, 1813 – December 21, 1864) was a pioneering American composer, music critic, and journalist. Fry was the first person born in the United States to write for a large symphony orchestra, and the first to compose a publicly performed opera. [1] He was also the first music critic for a major American newspaper, and he was the first person to insist that his fellow countrymen support American-made music. Contents 1 Biography 2 Death 3 Compositions 4 Writings 5 Modern editions 6 References 7 External links Biography William Henry Fry was born on August 10, 1813 in Philadelphia. His father, William Fry, was a prominent printer and, along with Roberts Vaux and Robert Walsh, ran the National Gazette and Literary Register , a major American newspaper at the time—edited by Robert Walsh from 1821 to 1836. William Henry had fou