- Jan 23 Franz Commer, German composer and musicologist, born in Cologne, Département de la Roer, First French Empire (d. 1887)
- Feb 14 Alexander Sergeyevich Dargomyzhsky, Russian composer, born in Troitsko village, Tula, Russia (d. 1869)
- Feb 16 Semyon Stepanovich Gulak-Artemovsky, Ukrainian baritone, playwright, and composer, born in Gorodishche (d. 1873)
Richard Wagner (1813-1883)
May 22 German composer, noted chiefly for his operas (The Ring of the Nibelung; The Flying Dutchman), born in Leipzig, Saxony, Germany
- Jun 5 Prosper Sainton, French violin teacher, and conductor (The Queen's Band, 1848-55), born in Toulouse, France (d. 1890)
- Jul 28 Alberto Mazzucato, Italian opera composer, born in Udine, Italy (d. 1877)
- Aug 10 William Henry Fry, American composer (Niagara Symphony), music director (Musical Fund Society), journalist, and music critic, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1864)
- Sep 28 Anton Wallerstein, German composer, born in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony (d. 1892)
- Oct 8 Carl Ludwig Amand Mangold, German composer, born in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse, Confederation of the Rhine (d. 1889)
Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)
Oct 10 Italian opera composer (Rigoletto, La Traviata), born in Busseto
- Oct 26 Henry Smart, English organist and composer, born in London (d. 1879)
- Nov 27 Michele Puccini, Italian organist and composer (father of Giacomo), born in Luca, Italy (d. 1864)
- Nov 30 Charles-Valentin Alkan, French pianist and composer, born in Paris (d. 1888)
- Dec 2 Jacob Rosenhaim, Jewish-German composer, born in Mannheim, Grand Duchy of Baden (d. 1894)
- Dec 10 Errico Petrella, Italian composer, born in Palermo, Italy (d. 1877)
- Dec 24 Henry Wellington Greatorex, English-American musician, born in Burton upon Trent, England (d. 1853)
- Dec 29 Etienne-Joseph Soubre, Belgian composer, born in Liège, Belgium (d. 1871)