 He played in the Coolidge String Quartet from 1935-1940.He was a protégé of Serge Koussevitzky, who premiered his symphonies to great acclaim.He married Alice Newman, a notable pianist, who later published a memoir, "Duet with Nicky" about their early years together (Lippincott) (Alice was the sister of chemist Melvin Spencer Newman and the granddaughter of New Orleans investment banker and philanthropist Isidore Newman).