- Jan 2 Mily Balakirev, Russian pianist and composer (Islamej, Tamara), born in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia (d. 1910)
- Jan 12 Adolf Jensen, German pianist, composer, and teacher, born in Königsberg, Prussian (now Kaliningrad, Russia) (d. 1879)
- Jan 12 Carlos Troyer, American composer, born in Frankfurt, German Confederation (d. 1920)
- Jan 23 Amanda Smith, American former slave, singer and evangelist, born in Long Green, Maryland (d. 1915)
- Feb 13 Valentin Zubiaurre, Spanish composer (Ferdinand Set), and educator, born in Garay, Biscay, Spain (d. 1914)
- Mar 12 Alexandre Guilmant, French organist (La Trinitié, 1871-901), composer and pedagogue (Schola Cantorum, 1894-1911), born in Meudon, France (d. 1911)
- Apr 25 William Charles Levey, Irish conductor and composer, born in Dublin, Ireland (d. 1894)
- Apr 30 Alfred R. Gaul, English composer, born in Nottingham (d. 1913)
- May 23 Józef Wieniawski, Polish pianist, composer, conductor and teacher, born in Lublin, Poland (d. 1912)
- May 29 Luca Fumagalli, Italian pianist and composer (Luigi XI), born in Inzago, Lombardo-Venetian Kingdom, Austrian Empire (now Italy) (d. 1908)
- Jun 8 Jan Kleczyński Sr., Polish painist and composer, born in Janiewicze, Russian Empire (d. 1895)
- Jun 23 Ernest Guiraud, French opera composer (Piccolino; Sylvie), arranger (Bizet), and teacher, born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 1892)
- Jul 6 Władysław Żeleński, Polish organist and composer, born in Grodkowice (d. 1921)
- Jul 11 Paul Lacombe, French composer, born in Carcassonne, France (d. 1927)
- Jul 20 Hans Sommer, German theatre composer, born in Brunswick (d. 1922)
- Jul 28 Christian Barnekow, Danish composer, born in Luz-Saint-Sauveur, France (d. 1913)
- Aug 24 Theodore Dubois, French composer, born in Rosnay, Marne, France (d. 1924)
- Aug 27 Heinrich Urban, German violinist, composer, and teacher of Wanda Landowska and Ignace Jan Paderewski, born in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia (now Germany) (d. 1901)
- Sep 15 Leo van Gheluwe, Belgian composer, born in Wannegem-Lede, East Flanders (d. 1914)
- Sep 19 Adolf Sonnenfeld, Polish violinist and composer, born in Wrocław, Poland (d. 1914)
- Oct 8 Otto Winter-Hjelm, Norwegian musician and composer, born in Oslo, Norway (d. 1931)
- Oct 16 John Francis Barnett, British composer, born in London (d. 1916)
- Nov 9 Alfred Holmes, English violinist and composer, born in London, England (d. 1876)
- Nov 17 Willem Coenen, Dutch composer and pianist, born in Rotterdam (d. 1918)
- Dec 9 Émile Waldteufel [Charles Émile Lévy], French pianist and composer (Estudiantina; Les Patineurs - The Skaters' Waltz), born in Strasbourg, France (d. 1915)
- Dec 25 Cosima Liszt, Austrian wife of composer Richard Wagner (founded Bayreuth Festival together), daughter of Franz Liszt and Marie d'Agoult, born in Bellagio, Lombardy, Austrian Empire (d. 1930)
- Dec 28 Benjamin Johnson Lang, American conductor and composer, born in Salem, Massachusetts (d. 1909)