Slonimsky, Nicolas (originally Nikolai) (1894–1995)

Russian musical author, conductor, and composer. He is best known for editing major reference works such as Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians. As a conductor he gave early performances of works by Varèse, Ruggles, Cowell, and Ives.

He studied at the St Petersburg Conservatory and in 1923 settled in the USA, becoming a US citizen in 1931. He compiled the survey Music since 1900 (1937, revised 1971; supplements 1986 and 1995), and edited Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians editions 5, 6, 7, and 8 (1958, 1978, 1985, 1992; editions 7 and 8 with Dennis McIntire).

The opera Mary Stuart by his nephew, Sergei Slonimsky (1932– ), was produced at the 1986 Edinburgh Festival.

Works Works for orchestra and piano Fragment from Orestes (Euripides) for orchestra (in quarter-tones); Studies in Black and White for piano.