1945 in music

Specific locations

• 1945 in British music
• 1945 in Norwegian music

  Specific genres

• 1945 in country music
• 1945 in jazz

  Events

• February 13–15 – Bombing of Dresden in World War II destroys the Semperoper.
• July 26 – Composer Ernest John Moeran marries cellist Peers Coetmore.
• July 27 – Benjamin Britten and Yehudi Menuhin perform concerts at Bergen-Belsen displaced persons camp.
• August 19 – Dick Powell marries June Allyson.
• September 1 – Trio Lescano's last concert on Italian radio.
• September 4 – Beethoven's Fidelio becomes the first opera to be performed in Berlin following World War II.
• October 25 – Philharmonia Orchestra plays its first concert, in London.
• November – Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt conducts the North German Radio Symphony Orchestra in its first concert.
• November 26 – Charlie Parker makes his first recording as a lead player, also featuring Miles Davis.
• The Motion Picture Daily Fame Poll designates Bing Crosby "Top Male Vocalist" for the ninth straight year.
• Antal Doráti becomes conductor of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.
• Reynaldo Hahn is appointed director of the Paris Opéra.
• Frank Sinatra leaves Your Hit Parade to appear on Max Factor Presents Frank Sinatra and, starting in September, Songs By Sinatra.
• Ruth Weston runs away from home in Portsmouth, Virginia, to marry trumpeter Jimmy Brown and begin her career as a singer.
• Marlene Dietrich appears on the CBS radio network, accompanied by accordionist John Serry Sr..

  Publications

• Spade Cooley – Spade Cooley's Western Swing Song Folio

  Albums released

• Nat King Cole – King Cole Trio
• Bing Crosby
• *Merry Christmas
• *Selections from Going My Way
• Glenn Miller – Glenn Miller
• Django Reinhardt – Paris 1945

  Biggest hit songs

Title	Artist	Song title	Year	Country	Chart Entries
1	Les Brown & Doris Day	"Sentimental Journey"	1945		US BB 1 of 1945, US 1 for 9 weeks May 1945, POP 1 of 1945, Europe 37 of the 1940s, RYM 69 of 1945, RIAA 77, Acclaimed 818
2	The Andrews Sisters	"Rum & Coca-Cola"	1945		US 1940s 1 – January 1945, US 1 for 7 weeks February 1945, US BB 2 of 1945, POP 2 of 1945, RYM 3 of 1944, Europe 6 of the 1940s
3	Perry Como	"Till the End of Time"	1945		US 1940s 1 – August 1945, US 1 for 9 weeks September 1945, US BB 12 of 1945, POP 23 of 1945, Europe 30 of the 1940s, RYM 85 of 1945
4	Johnny Mercer	"On the Atcheson, Topeka & the Sante Fe"	1945		US 1940s 1 – July 1945, US 1 for 7 weeks July 1945, US BB 4 of 1945, POP 11 of 1945, RYM 89 of 1945
5	Les Brown& Doris Day	"My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time"	1945		US 1940s 1 – March 1945, US 1 for 7 weeks April 1945, US BB 7 of 1945, POP 13 of 1945, RYM 70 of 1945

Top hit records

• "11:60 PM" by Harry James
• "A Little on the Lonely Side" by Frankie Carle
• "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive" by Johnny Mercer
• "Apple Honey" by Woody Herman
• "Bell Bottom Trousers"
• *by Jerry Colonna
• *by The Jesters
• *by Kay Kyser and his orchestra
• *by Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians
• *by Tony Pastor and his orchestra
• *by Louis Prima and his orchestra
• "Bijou" by Woody Herman
• "Caldonia" by
• *Louis Jordan
• *Woody Herman
• "Candy" by Johnny Mercer, Jo Stafford, and The Pied Pipers
• "Chickery Chick" by Sammy Kaye

  Published popular music

• "All of My Life" w.m. Irving Berlin
• "All Through the Day" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Jerome Kern
• "Along the Navajo Trail" w.m. Dick Charles, Eddie DeLange & Larry Markes
• "Apple Honey" m. Woody Herman
• "Aren't You Glad You're You?" w. Johnny Burke m. Jimmy Van Heusen
• "Atlanta G.A." w. Sunny Skylar m. Arthur Shaftel
• "Autumn Serenade" w. Sammy Gallop m. Peter DeRose
• "Be-Baba-Leba" w.m. Helen Humes
• "The Blond Sailor" w. Mitchell Parish, Bell Leib m. Jacob Pfeil
• "Boogie Blues" w.m. Gene Krupa & Ray Biondi
• "Caldonia" w.m. Fleecie Moore
• "The Carousel Waltz" w. Richard Rodgers
• "Cement Mixer" w.m. Slim Gaillard & Lee Ricks
• "Chickery Chick" w. Sylvia Dee m. Sidney Lippman
• "Close as Pages in a Book" w. Dorothy Fields m. Sigmund Romberg. Introduced by Maureen Cannon and Wilbur Evans in the musical Up in Central Park
• "Cruising Down the River" w.m. Eily Beadell & Nell Tollerton
• "Day By Day" w. Sammy Cahn m. Paul Weston & Axel Stordahl
• "Detour" w.m. Paul Westmoreland
• "Dig You Later" w. Harold Adamson m. Jimmy McHugh
• "Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief" w. Paul Francis Webster m. Hoagy Carmichael
• "Don't Be a Baby, Baby" w. Buddy Kaye m. Howard Steiner
• "The End of the News" w.m. Noël Coward
• "Everything But You" w.m. Don George, Duke Ellington and Harry James.
• "For Sentimental Reasons" w. Deek Watson m. William Best
• "The Frim Fram Sauce" w.m. Joe Ricardel & Redd Evans
• "Full Moon and Empty Arms" w.m. Buddy Kaye & Ted Mossman
• "Give Me the Moon Over Brooklyn" w.m. Jason Matthews & Terry Shand
• "Give Me the Simple Life" w. Harry Ruby m. Rube Bloom
• "Good Good Good " w.m. Fisher Roberts
• "Gotta Be This or That" w.m. Sunny Skylar
• "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry" w. Sammy Cahn m. Jule Styne
• "The Gypsy" w.m. Billy Reid
• "Have I Told You Lately that I Love You?" w.m. Scott Wiseman
• "Her Bathing Suit Never Got Wet" w. Charles Tobias m. Nat Simon
• "Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop" w.m. Lionel Hampton & Curley Hamner
• "Homesick – That's All" w.m. Gordon Jenkins
• "The Honeydripper" w.m. Joe Liggins
• "I Can't Begin to Tell You" w. Mack Gordon m. James V. Monaco. Introduced by John Payne and reprised by Betty Grable in the film The Dolly Sisters
• "I Don't Know Enough About You" w.m. Peggy Lee & Dave Barbour
• "I Have But One Heart" Marty Symes, J. Farrow
• "I Wish I Knew" w. Mack Gordon m. Harry Warren. Introduced by Dick Haymes in the film Diamond Horseshoe
• "I Wonder" Gant, Leveen
• "I Wonder What Happened To Him" w.m. Noël Coward
• "If I Loved You" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by John Raitt and Jan Clayton in the musical Carousel.
• "I'll Buy That Dream" w. Herb Magison m. Allie Wrubel
• "I'm a Big Girl Now" w.m. Al Hoffman, Milton Drake & Jerry Livingston
• "I'm Gonna Love That Guy" w.m. Frances Ash
• "In Acapulco" w. Mack Gordon m. Harry Warren. Introduced by Betty Grable in the film Diamond Horseshoe
• "In Love In Vain" w. Leo Robin m. Jerome Kern. Introduced by Louanne Hogan dubbing for Jeanne Crain in the film Centennial Summer
• "In the Middle of May" w. Al Stillman m. Fred Ahlert
• "Isn't It Kinda Fun" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by Dick Haymes and Vivian Blaine in the film State Fair. Performed in the 1962 film version by Ann-Margret and David Street
• "It Might as Well Be Spring" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by Louanne Hogan dubbing for Jeanne Crain in the film State Fair. Performed in the 1962 film version by Anita Gordon dubbing for Pamela Tiffin.
• "It's a Grand Night For Singing" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
• "It's Been a Long, Long Time" w. Sammy Cahn m. Jule Styne
• "Johnnie Fedora " w. Allie Wrubel & Ray Gilbert
• "June is Bustin' Out All Over" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
• "Just a Blue Serge Suit" w.m. Irving Berlin
• "Laura" w. Johnny Mercer m. David Raksin
• "Lavender Blue" w. Larry Morey m. Eliot Daniel
• "Leone Jump" m. John Serry Sr.
• "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" w. Sammy Cahn m. Jule Styne
• "Love Letters" w. Edward Heyman m. Victor Young
• "Love on a Greyhound Bus" w. Ralph Blane & Kay Thompson m. George Stoll
• "Matelot" w.m. Noël Coward. Introduced by Graham Payn in the revue Sigh No More
• "Mister Snow" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
• "Money is the Root of All Evil" w.m. Joan Whitney & Alex Kramer
• "The More I See You" w. Mack Gordon m. Harry Warren
• "Nina" w.m. Noël Coward
• "Oh! What It Seemed To Be" w.m. Bennie Benjamin, George David Weiss & Frankie Carle
• "Personality" w. Johnny Burke m. Jimmy Van Heusen
• "Rodger Young" w.m. Frank Loesser
• "Shoo-Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy" w. Sammy Gallop m. Guy Wood
• "Sigh No More" w.m. Noël Coward
• "Sioux City Sue" w. Ray Freedman m. Dick Thomas
• "Soliloquy" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
• "Some Sunday Morning" w. Ted Koehler m. M.K. Jerome & Ray Heindorf
• "A Stranger in Town" w.m. Mel Tormé
• "Symphony" w. Jack Lawrence m. Alex Alstone
• "Tampico" w.m. Allan Roberts & Doris Fisher
• " That Feeling in the Moonlight?" w.m. James Cavanaugh, Larry Stock & Ira Schuster
• "That Little Dream Got Nowhere" w. Johnny Burke m. Jimmy Van Heusen
• "That's for Me" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
• "This Was a Real Nice Clambake" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
• "Till the End of Time" w.m. Buddy Kaye & Ted Mossman
• "Two Silhouettes" w. Ray Gilbert m. Charles Wolcott
• "Waitin' for the Train to Come In" w.m. Sunny Skylar & Martin Block
• "We'll Be Together Again" w. Frankie Laine m. Carl Fischer
• "We'll Gather Lilacs" w.m. Ivor Novello
• "What's the Use of Wond'rin'?" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
• "When the Children Are Asleep" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
• "The Wild, Wild West" w. Johnny Mercer m. Harry Warren from the film The Harvey Girls
• "You'll Never Walk Alone" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
• "You're a Queer One, Julie Jordan" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers

  Classical music">European classical music">Classical music

Premieres

Compositions

• Samuel Barber – Cello Concerto
• Béla Bartók
• * Piano Concerto No. 3
• * Viola Concerto
• John A. Carpenter – The Seven Ages
• George Crumb
• * Four Pieces for violin and piano
• * Sonata for Piano
• * Four Songs for voice, clarinet and piano
• Wolfgang Fortner – Sonata for violin and piano
• Jesús Guridi – Pyrenean Symphony
• Dmitri Kabalevsky – Piano Sonata No. 2
• Paul von Klenau – Symphony No. 9
• Erich W. Korngold – Violin Concerto
• G. Francesco Malipiero – Symphony No. 3
• Frank Martin – Petite symphonie concertante
• Bohuslav Martinů
• * Rhapsodie Tcheque
• * Etudes and Polkas, H. 308, for piano
• Olivier Messiaen – Harawi
• Douglas Moore – Symphony No. 2
• Walter Piston – Sonatina for Violin and Harpsichord
• Sergei Prokofiev – Ivan the Terrible
• Nico Richter – Serenade for flute, violin and viola
• Henri Sauguet – Les forains, ballet
• Dmitri Shostakovich
• * Symphony No. 9
• * Children's Notebook
• Richard Strauss
• * Metamorphosen for 23 solo strings
• * Oboe Concerto
• Igor Stravinsky
• * Ebony Concerto
• * Symphony in Three Movements
• Michael Tippett – Symphony No. 1
• Various composers – Genesis Suite
• Heitor Villa-Lobos
• *Piano Concerto No. 1
• *String Quartet No. 9
• *Symphony No. 7 Odisséia da paz

  [Opera]

• Amy Beach – Cabildo
• Benjamin Britten – Peter Grimes
• Frederick Jacobi – The Prodigal Son

  [Jazz]

[Musical theater]

• Are You With It?. Broadway production opened at the Century Theatre on November 10 and ran for 266 performances.
• Billion Dollar Baby. Broadway production opened at the Alvin Theatre on December 21 and ran for 220 performances. Starring Mitzi Green, Joan McCracken, William Tabbert, Danny Daniels and Shirley Van.
• Carousel. Broadway production opened at the Majestic Theatre on April 19 and ran for 890 performances.
• The Day Before Spring. Broadway production opened on November 22 at the National Theatre and ran for 165 performances.
• The Firebrand of Florence. Broadway production opened at the Alvin Theatre on March 22 and ran for 43 performances. Starring Lotte Lenya, Earl Wrightson, Beverly Tyler and Melville Cooper.
• Follow The Girls. London production opened at Her Majesty's Theatre on October 25 and ran for 572 performances.
• Marinka. Broadway production opened at the Winter Garden Theatre on July 18 and moved to the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on October 1 for a total run of 165 performances
• Perchance To Dream. London production opened at the London Hippodrome on April 21 and ran for 1022 performances.
• The Red Mill. Broadway revival opened on October 16 at the Ziegfeld Theatre and ran for 531 performances.
• Sigh No More. London revue opened at the Piccadilly Theatre on August 28
• Under the Counter. London production opened at the Phoenix Theatre on November 22 and ran for 665 performances
• Up in Central Park. Broadway production opened at the Century Theatre on January 27 and ran for 504 performances.

  [Musical film]s

• Anchors Aweigh starring Frank Sinatra, Kathryn Grayson and Gene Kelly. Directed by George Sidney.
• The Bells of St. Mary's starring Ingrid Bergman and Bing Crosby. Directed by Leo McCarey.
• The Blonde from Brooklyn released June 21, starring Lynn Merrick and Richard Stanton, with Gwen Verdon in a minor role.
• Blonde Ransom starring Donald Cook and Virginia Grey. Directed by William Beaudine.
• Bring on the Girls starring Veronica Lake, Sonny Tufts, Eddie Bracken and Marjorie Reynolds and featuring Spike Jones and his Orchestra.
• Abbott and Costello in Hollywood starring Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Frances Rafferty, Bob Stanton and Jean Porter. Directed by S. Sylvan Simon.
• Delightfully Dangerous starring Jane Powell, Ralph Bellamy, Constance Moore, Arthur Treacher and Morton Gould & his Orchestra. Directed by Arthur Lubin.
• Diamond Horseshoe aka Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe starring Betty Grable, Dick Haymes, Phil Silvers, William Gaxton and Beatrice Kay and featuring vaudevillian Willie Solar in his only filmed performance.
• The Dolly Sisters released November 14 starring Betty Grable, June Haver and John Payne.
• Duffy's Tavern starring Ed Gardner, Betty Hutton, Bing Crosby, Paulette Goddard, Dorothy Lamour, Eddie Bracken, Sonny Tufts, Barry Fitzgerald and Veronica Lake. Directed by Hal Walker.
• Eadie Was a Lady starring Ann Miller
• Here Come the Co-eds starring Bud Abbott, Lou Costello and Peggy Ryan. Directed by Edgar Fairchild.
• Hit the Hay starring Judy Canova
• Let's Go Steady released January 4 starring Pat Parrish and Jackie Moran and featuring Mel Tormé and Skinnay Ennis.
• Nob Hill starring George Raft, Joan Bennett and Vivian Blaine.
• Out of This World starring Eddie Bracken, Veronica Lake and Cass Daley
• Rhapsody In Blue starring Robert Alda, Joan Leslie and Alexis Smith and featuring Hazel Scott.
• A Song for Miss Julie starring Shirley Ross
• State Fair starring Dick Haymes, Jeanne Crain, Dana Andrews and Vivian Blaine.
• The Stork Club starring Betty Hutton, Barry Fitzgerald, Don DeFore, Andy Russell and Robert Benchley
• Thrill of a Romance starring Van Johnson and Esther Williams and featuring Lauritz Melchior
• Tonight and Every Night starring Rita Hayworth, Lee Bowman and Janet Blair.
• Yolanda and the Thief starring Fred Astaire, Lucille Bremer, Frank Morgan, Mildred Natwick and Mary Nash. Directed by Vincente Minnelli.

  Births

• January 3 – Stephen Stills, singer-songwriter and guitarist
• January 10 – Rod Stewart, rock singer
• January 15 – Joan Johnson
• January 17
• *William Hart
• *Ivan Karabyts, Ukrainian conductor and composer
• January 19 – Rod Evans
• January 20 – Eric Stewart, singer-songwriter
• January 26
• *Jacqueline du Pré, cellist
• *Ashley Hutchings, folk rock musician
• January 27 – Nick Mason, Pink Floyd
• January 28 – Robert Wyatt, Canterbury scene musician
• February 6 – Bob Marley, reggae singer-songwriter, musician and guitarist
• February 14 – Vic Briggs, guitarist Animals
• February 20 – Alan Hull, singer-songwriter
• February 26
• *Bob Hite, Canned Heat
• *Mitch Ryder
• February 27 – Carl Anderson, actor and singer
• March 6 – Hugh Grundy
• March 7 – Arthur Lee
• March 8 – Micky Dolenz, singer, songwriter and actor
• March 9 – Robin Trower
• March 10 – Ramón Ayala, accordion player and norteño
• March 14
• *Jasper Carrott, English comedian, actor, and musician
• * Michael Martin Murphey, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• *Walter Parazaider, American saxophonist
• *Herman van Veen, Dutch singer-songwriter and actor
• March 17 – Elis Regina, Brazilian singer
• March 19 – Cem Karaca, Turkish rock musician
• March 28 – Charles Portz
• March 30 – Eric Clapton, blues guitarist and singer
• April 1 – John Barbata, The Turtles
• April 9 – Steve Gadd, American session drummer
• April 13 – Lowell George
• April 14 – Ritchie Blackmore
• April 20 – Frank DiLeo, American actor and music industry executive
• April 24 – Robert Knight, singer
• April 25
• *Björn Ulvaeus, singer and songwriter
• *Stu Cook
• April 28 – John Wolters, Dr. Hook
• April 29 – Tammi Terrell, Soul singer
• May 1 – Rita Coolidge, singer
• May 2
• *Goldy McJohn, Steppenwolf
• *Judge Dread, English reggae singer/rapper
• May 4 – Georg Wadenius
• May 6
• *Bob Seger, singer-songwriter
• *Jimmie Dale Gilmore, country musician
• May 7 – Christy Moore, folk musician
• May 8 – Keith Jarrett, pianist and composer
• May 9 – Steve Katz, Blues Project, Blood, Sweat & Tears
• May 12 – Ian McLagan, keyboard player, The Faces
• May 13 – Magic Dick, The J. Geils Band
• May 19 – Pete Townshend, The Who
• May 24 – Priscilla Presley, wife of Elvis
• May 27 – Bruce Cockburn, Canadian singer/songwriter
• May 28
• *John Fogerty
• *Gary Stewart, American singer
• *Chayito Valdez, folk singer
• May 29 – Gary Brooker, singer and keyboardist
• June 1
• *Linda Scott, singer
• *Frederica von Stade, operatic mezzo-soprano
• June 2 – Lord David Dundas, singer and composer
• June 4
• *Gordon Waller, singer
• *Anthony Braxton, avant-garde jazz composer
• June 14 – Rod Argent, The Zombies, Argent
• June 20 – Anne Murray, singer
• June 24 – Colin Blunstone, singer Zombies
• June 25
• *Carly Simon, singer-songwriter
• *Labi Siffre, singer-songwriter
• July 26 – Betty Davis, singer
• June 28 – Dave Knights, Procol Harum
• July 1
• *Mike Burstyn, American actor and singer
• *Debbie Harry, American singer, songwriter, and actress
• July 6 – R. K. Elswit
• July 15 – Peter Lewis
• July 18 – Danny McCulloch
• July 20
• *Kim Carnes, singer
• *John Lodge
• July 23 – Dino Danelli, The Rascals
• July 30 – David Sanborn, saxophonist
• August 16 – Gary Liozzo, American Breed
• August 18 – Barbara Harris
• August 19 – Ian Gillan, rock singer
• August 24
• *Randy Silverman
• *Ken Hensley
• *Malcolm Duncan
• *Ronee Blakley, composer
• August 31
• *Van Morrison, musician
• *Itzhak Perlman, violinist
• September 4 – Bill Kenwright, producer of West End musicals
• September 5 – Al Stewart, singer-songwriter
• September 8
• *Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, rock musician
• *Kelly Groucutt, rock musician
• September 9
• *Richard Divall, conductor and musicologist
• *Dee Dee Sharp, R&B singer
• September 10 – Jose Feliciano, singer-songwriter and guitarist
• September 15 – Jessye Norman, operatic soprano
• September 17 – Danny Rivera, singer
• September 19 – David Bromberg, guitarist
• September 23 – Paul Petersen, singer and actor
• September 24 – John Rutter, composer
• September 25 – Onnie McIntire
• September 26
• *Bryan Ferry, singer and songwriter
• *Gal Costa, Brazilian singer
• October 1 – Donny Hathaway, singer and musician
• October 2 – Don McLean, singer-songwriter
• October 7 – Kevin Godley, singer and songwriter
• October 9 – Chucho Valdés, jazz musician
• October 10 – Alan Cartwright
• October 13 – Christophe, singer-songwriter
• October 19 – Jeannie C. Riley, country singer
• October 22 – Leslie West
• October 28 – Wayne Fontana, singer
• October 29 – Melba Moore, singer
• October 31 – Russ Ballard, Argent, singer-songwriter
• November 8
• *Donald Murray
• *Arnold Rosner, composer
• November 10 – Donna Fargo, country musician
• November 11
• *Chris Dreja, British rock musician
• *Vincent Martell, Vanilla Fudge
• November 12 – Neil Young, singer-songwriter
• November 13 – Bobby Manuel, American guitarist and producer
• November 15 – Anni-Frid Lyngstad, singer
• November 16 – Teenie Hodges, American guitarist and songwriter
• November 20 – Dan McBride
• November 24 – Lee Michaels, keyboardist and singer
• November 26 – John McVie, guitarist
• December 1 – Bette Midler, singer and actress
• December 10 – Toots Hibbert, Toots & the Maytals
• December 12
• *Alan Ward
• *Tony Williams, American drummer, composer, and producer
• December 14 – Stanley Crouch, music critic
• December 20 – Peter Criss, hard-rock drummer
• December 23 – Ronald Busby, Iron Butterfly
• December 24 – Lemmy, born Ian Kilmister, heavy metal musician
• December 25 – Noel Redding, rock guitar bassist
• December 27 – Clarence Barlow, composer
• December 30 – Davy Jones, singer and actor
• date unknown – Abed Azrie, singer

  Deaths

• January 4 – Michael Coleman, fiddle player
• January 17 – Malcolm McEachern, operatic bass
• January 30 – Herbert L. Clarke, cornet virtuoso and composer
• February – David Beigelman, violinist, orchestra leader and composer
• February 5 – Volga Hayworth, showgirl
• February 7 – Aldo Finzi, composer
• February 11 – Al Dubin, songwriter
• February 25 – Mário de Andrade, writer and musicologist
• March 2 – Jean-Baptiste Lemire, composer
• March 3 – Blanche Arral, operatic soprano
• April 1 – May Beatty, New Zealand singer
• April 4 – Berta Bock, Romanian composer
• April 15 – Raffaello Squarise, violinist, conductor and composer
• April 19 – Alois Burgstaller, operatic tenor
• April 25
• *Elmer Samuel Hosmer, composer
• *Teddy Weatherford, jazz pianist
• April 29 – Dezső d'Antalffy, Hungarian organist and composer
• May 15 – Kenneth J. Alford, band composer
• May 31 – Gustave Huberdeau, operatic bass-baritone
• June 26 – Nikolai Tcherepnin, composer
• June 28 – Jonny Heykens, Dutch composer and orchestra leader
• July 24 – Rosina Storchio, operatic soprano
• August 2
• *Pietro Mascagni, composer
• *Emil von Reznicek, composer
• August 19 – Carl Wilhelm Kern, pianist and composer
• August 23 – Leo Borchard, conductor
• August 31 – Elsa Stralia, operatic soprano
• September 8 – Leo Rich Lewis, composer
• September 15 – Anton Webern, composer
• September 16 – John McCormack, tenor
• September 18 – Blind Willie Johnson, gospel singer and guitarist
• September 25 – Julius Korngold, music critic
• September 26 – Béla Bartók, composer
• October 16 – James V. Monaco, Italian-born US composer
• November 3 – Alessandro Longo, composer and musicologist
• November 7 – Gus Edwards, Prussian-born US songwriter, entertainer and producer
• November 11 – Jerome Kern, composer
• December 24 – Adelina Stehle, operatic soprano
• December 30 – France Ačko, Slovenian organist and composer
• date unknown
• *Viktor Selyavin, operatic tenor
• *Joseph Fournier de Belleval, operatic baritone and music teacher