 Henry-Louis studied the humanities in Paris and New York and literature at Aix-en-Provence University and at the Sorbonne.From 1946 to 1947 he studied at the Yale University School of Music and subsequently, from 1948 until 1953, privately in Paris – piano under Yvonne Lefébure and harmony, counterpoint, and analysis under Nadia Boulanger.La Grange began working as a music critic in 1952, writing articles for the "New York Herald Tribune" and "The New York Times", and the magazines "Opera News", "Saturday Review", "Musical America", and "Opus" in the United States, and "Arts", "Disques", "La Revue Musicale", and "Harmonie" in France.