Research Guides: Music: Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

General Reference

Oxford Music Online This link opens in a new window
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Most respected encyclopedia on music. Includes biographical essays of composers and musical personalities, overviews of music history, musical instrument development, and works listings for composers. Note: four simultaneous user limit.

Oxford Music Online includes a collection of different reference works for music research. Including:

Music Online: African American Music Reference This link opens in a new window
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Perfect for scholars and faculty of music composition, the Music Online: Reference delivers some of the most acclaimed music text content from the world’s best publishers, together in one place. Easily access useful encyclopedias, scores, manuscripts, biographies, and other reference texts that make up the core of music curricula around the world.
Gale in Context: Biography This link opens in a new window
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A comprehensive database of biographical information on more that 150,000 people from throughout history, around the world, and across all disciplines and subject areas.

Library of Congress Performing Arts Encyclopedia
Offers biographical essays, digitized content, photographs, and other special materials from the Library of Congress

Musicians and Composers of the 20th Century
Includes biographical info as well as works listings for concert music as well as pop music personalities.

Cambridge Companions Online This link opens in a new window
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Includes individual composer handbooks as well as music genre and style guides.
Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
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Includes many reference books on topics ranging from performing arts to social sciences and humanities. Now includes "Contemporary Musicians."

Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings by Steve Sullivan
Explores approximately 1,000 song recordings from 1889 to the present, telling the stories behind the songs, recordings, performers, and songwriters. TU site license provides for one simultaneous user.
The Encyclopedia of Film Composers by Thomas S. Hischak
Features in-depth essays describing musical styles and achievements of 250 composers.