Henry Wylde (22 May 1822, [Bushey,Hertfordshire] - March 13, 1890) was an [English] conductor, composer and music critic. He was the eldest son of Henry Wylde the senior, a music teacher and member of the Chapel Royal choir and Martha Lucy Wylde nee Paxton.

Organist of Whitchurch aged thirteen, Wylde was a pupil of Ignaz Moscheles at the age of sixteen and studied under Cipriani Potter at the Royal Academy of Music, where he was later appointed a Professor of Harmony.

In 1852 he encouraged the founding of the New Philharmonic Society, and from 1858 to 1879 directed their concerts. He succeeded Edward Taylor as the Royal Academy's Gresham Professor of Music in 1863. In 1867 he founded the London Academy of Music. He wrote several books on music and composition, and served as the music critic of the Echo newspaper.

His books include: Music in its art-mysteries (London, Booth,1867); Harmony and the science of music: Complete in one volume (Cramer, 1871); Occult principles of music (A.S. Mallett, 1871); The evolution of the beautiful in sound: A treatise, in two sections. Tracing up the origin, history, and gradual evolution of the modern series of musical ... the most ancient ages to the present time.(J. Heywood, 1888)

His compositions include: When Gathering Clouds, after an air by Handel, with parts for piano and singing;

References

• F. G. Edwards, ‘Wylde, Henry (1822–1890)’, rev. David J. Golby, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004, accessed 12 Sept 2007
• G. Grove, A dictionary of music and musicians
• 'Obituary:Henry Wylde', Musical Times, 1 April 1890