Slonimsky, Nicolas

Slonimsky, Nicolas

(1894– ) conductor, composer, musicologist; born in St. Petersburg, Russia. After studies in piano and composition at the St. Petersburg conservatory, he came to the U.S.A. in 1923 and embarked on a peripatetic career that centered during the 1920s and 1930s on conducting, with an emphasis on modern composers, and occasional composing. He later turned to writing, most notably Music Since 1900 (4th ed. 1971) and the Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Music (starting with the 1958 ed.). His memoirs, Perfect Pitch, appeared in 1988.