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Anthony Tommasini is the chief classical music critic of the New York Times, an author and a pianist. Born in Brooklyn, he grew up in Long Island, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University in 1970, and then earned a Master of Music degree from the Yale School of Music, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Boston University. His teachers have included the pianists Donald Currier and Leonard Shure. He has taught music at Emerson College in Boston, and given non-fiction writing workshops at Wesleyan University and Brandeis University. His interest in the work of the composer and critic Virgil Thomson culminated with his book Virgil Thomson: Composer on the Aisle, published in 1997 by W. W. Norton & Company. His latest book, released in November of 2004 and published by Times Books/Henry Holt, part of the New York Times Essential Library series, is Opera: a Critic’s Guide to the 100 Most Important Works and the Best Recordings. As a pianist, he recorded two Northeastern Records compact discs of Thomson’s music, titled Portraits and Self-Portraits, and Mostly About Love: Songs and Vocal Works. Both were funded through grants Anthony Tommasini was awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts. Prior to joining the New York Times he covered classical music and theater for the Boston Globe.