JOHNSON, Harriet

Harriet Johnson was an American music critic, author, and composer best known for her long-standing tenure as the chief music critic for the New York Post, a role she held for 43 years from 1943 to 1986. As one of the few prominent female head music critics in major American print journalism during the mid-20th century, she covered key premieres, dance performances, and concert events throughout New York City's vibrant mid-century cultural scene.

Alongside her prominent journalistic career, Johnson was an active composer. Her creative output included musical settings for children and orchestral works, such as "Chuggy and the Blue Caboose" (1954) and "Pet of the Met" (1977), a work scored for soprano, baritone, and orchestra preserved in the Library of Congress collections.