Biographical Information - MU 312 - History of Music II - LibGuides at University of Alabama Huntsville

Where to look for biographical information

Biographical information about composers and musicians can be found in encyclopedias and dictionaries.

Here are some suggested resources.

Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians by Nicolas Slonimsky (Editor); Laura Diane Kuhn (Editor)
Call Number: Gale eBooks

ISBN: 0028655257

Publication Date: 2000-12-22

"Nicolas Slonimsky's venerable single-volume reference is now a six-volume set, with better page layout and typeface, and a subject range outside its traditional concentration on classical music. Under new editorship since Slonimsky's death in 1995, coverage has expanded to over 1,000 new entries on classical music and over 2,000 new entries on jazz and popular music.
Lives of the Great Composers 3e by Harold C. Schonberg
Call Number: ML390 .S393 1997

ISBN: 9780393038576

Publication Date: 1997-04-17

An updated and expanded edition of this perennial favorite, tracing the line of composers from Monteverdi to the tonalists of the 1990s. In this new edition, Harold Schonberg offers music lovers a series of fascinating biographical chapters.
The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians by Stanley Sadie (Editor); John Tyrrell (Editor)
Call Number: ML100 .G8863 2001 v. 1 to v. 29

ISBN: 1561592390

Publication Date: 2003-02-11

Also available as the database Grove Music Online .
Since its initial publication in 1980, the Dictionary has been widely acclaimed as an indispensable resource and a classic reference.

Encyclopedia Britannica Academic Edition
Britannica Academic is the premier version of the online Encyclopedia Britannica. This can be a good starting point for locating information.

You can also search the library catalog (Primo Pathfinder) by subject headings to find more information. The following are just a few suggested topics.

Composers -- Biography

Conductors -- Biography

Musicians -- Biography

African American composers -- Biography

Women composers -- Biography