Armstrong was born in 1858 in Frederick County, Maryland. As a child, he received piano lessons in Stuttgart, Germany. Later he began playing professionally and teaching lessons on the instrument.[2] Armstrong published musical reviews in major newspapers such as the Chicago Tribune, where he was the music editor (1893 - 1898), and the New York Times.[1] He also published reviews and essays in periodicals such as the Saturday Evening Post and the Saturday Review.[3] In addition to his reviews and essays, Armstrong wrote several books. These include the novels Thekla (1887) and An American Nobleman (1892),[2] and the essay series The Romantic World of Music.[4]
