Gusikoff, Michel

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Gusikoff, Michel

Gusikoff, Michel, American violinist and composer, b. N.Y., May 15, 1893; d. there, July 10, 1978. He was the great-grandson of the Polish xylophonist and composer Michal Jozef Guzikov (1806-1837). He studied violin with Mark Fonaroff and Kneisel, and composition with Goetschius. He was concertmaster of the St. Louis Sym. Orch., Russian Sym. Orch. in N.Y., N.Y. Sym. Orch., Philadelphia Orch., NBC Sym. Orch. in N.Y., Pittsburgh Sym. Orch., and Bell Telephone Hour Orch. Among his works were American Concerto or Jazz Fantasy for Violin and Orch. (1931), Oh! Susanna for String Quartet or String Orch. (1942), and violin pieces, including violin arrangements of Gershwin’s songs.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire