The journal was established in the mid-1970s by DKH, Joseph Kerman, and Robert Winter. Vol. 1, no. 1 appeared in July, 1977, published by the University of California Press. The office was in the Music Building on the Davis campus, and I served as managing editor, 1977–94 (vols. I–XVII) and was principal editor for a several numbers, notably including Essays for Joseph Kerman in VII/3 (3 April 1984).

Writing About Music (1988; 2nd edn. 2004; 3rd edn. 2014) was based on the in-house style sheet and originally published to celebrate the journal's 10th anniversary.

@UC Press

Other marks of recognition include

1983 — J. Rigbie Turner, Nineteenth-Century Autograph Music Manu­scripts in The Pierpont Morgan Library: A Check List. New York: The Pierpont Morgan Library, 1982. Reprint, in book form with additional material, of an article from 19th-Century Music (4:46–59 and 157–83).

1984 — Index to volumes I–VII of 19th-Century Music, published with a subscription brochure (also by DKH). Prepared with the assistance of staff.

1985 — Eleven articles selected for reprinting in The Garland Library of the History of Western Music, ed. Ellen Rosand (New York, 1985).

1986 — Anniversary poster and cover from an unpublished design of William Morris in the collection of Sanford and Helen Berger.

1988 — John Daverio’s article “Schumann’s ‘Im Legendenton’ and Friedrich Schlegel’s Arabesque” (XI/2, Fall 1987) named winner of the Alfred Einstein Award of the American Musicological Society, given annually for an outstanding article by a younger scholar.

1988 — Writing About Music: a Style Sheet from the Editors of 19th-Century Music first published by University of California Press.