Introduction

Biography

Richard was the son of Dea­con Na­than­iel Will­is (found­er of The Youth’s Com­pan­ion) and Han­nah Park­er, and bro­ther of poet Na­than­iel Park­er Will­is.

He at­tend­ed Chaun­cey Hall, the Bos­ton La­tin School, and Yale Uni­ver­si­ty, gra­du­at­ing in 1841. He then went to Ger­ma­ny, where he st­udied six years un­der Xa­vier Schny­der and Mor­itz Haupt­mann. While there, he be­came a per­so­nal friend of Fe­lix Men­dels­sohn.

After re­turn­ing to Am­er­ica, Will­is served as mu­sic cri­tic for the New York Tri­bune, The Al­bi­on, and The Mu­sic­al Times, and edited The Mu­sic­al Times (1852–64).

He moved to De­troit in 1861, where he lived the rest of his life, ex­cept 1874–78, when he was in It­aly while his daugh­ter at­tend­ed school.

Works

• Church Cho­rals and Choir Stu­dies (New York: Clark, Aus­tin & Smith, 1850)
• Our Church Mu­sic, 1856
• Waif of Song, 1876
• Pen and Lute, 1883