Anthony Tommasini was the chief classical music critic for The New York Times from 2000 to 2021. He graduated from Yale University and later earned a doctor of musical arts from Boston University. He is the author of four books, including The Indispensable Composers, a guide to the greatest works of classical music in the canon. As a pianist, he made two recordings of Virgil Thomson's music on the Northeastern label, which were supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.