Nicolai is a Frisian (north part of Holland) surname , and may refer to: In music Philipp Nicolai (1556–1608), German Lutheran pastor, poet, and composer Carl Otto Ehrenfried Nicolai (1810 – 1849) German composer, conductor, and founder of the Vienna Philharmonic Bruno Nicolai (1926–1991), Italian film music composer, orchestra director, and musical editor Carsten Nicolai (aka Alva Noto; born 1965), German sound artist In literature Christoph Friedrich Nicolai (1733–1811), German writer and bookseller In other fields Anton Nicolai (died 1474), Polish Roman Catholic bishop Ernst Anton Nicolai (1722–1802), German physician and chemist Ernst August Nicolai (1800–1875), German physician and naturalist Friedrich Bernhard Gottfried Nicolai (1793–1846), German astronomer Hermann Nicolai (born 1952), German theoretical physicist Norica Nicolai (born 1958), Romanian lawyer and politician William S. Nicolai (born ?), U.S. inventor and entrepreneur See also Nicolay (disambiguation) Nikolay (disambiguation) Surnames from given names