Reference resources include encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, and statistical sources; they are excellent starting points for research.
They're also a good source to check for biographical information.
Best starting point: New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.
Not finding anything? Try Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians. Try also Biography Index: Past and Present database for journal articles.
For books, a subject search in LVC's catalog will retrieve books with biographical information.
Image source: By っ. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.