Stephen Albert Emery was an American composer, writer, and pianist. Was born in Paris, Maine, receiving his early musical education in his native state, and later going to Leipsic, where he studied the piano under Plaidy and Papperitz, and harmony and counterpoint with Richter and Hauptmann, afterwards studying the piano under Spindler in Dresden. Returning to America, he removed to Boston in 1866, where the following year he was engaged to teach in the New England Conservatory, just opened. When the College of Music of Boston University was founded he was appointed professor of harmony and counterpoint in that institution also, and became assistant editor of the Musical Herald. His works as composer, lecturer and writer are of a high order, his text-book on Elements of Harmony being the best-known and most widely used. He wrote also Foundation Studies in Piano Playing, string quartets, songs and piano-pieces.