- Jan 1 Nikolay Lodizhensky, Russian diplomat and composer, born in Saint Petersburg, Russia (d. 1916)
- Jan 23 Bolko von Hochberg, German diplomat and composer, born in Castle Fürstenstein, Silesia (d. 1926)
- Feb 19 Adelina Patti, Italian opera soprano (Lucio), born in Madrid, Spain (d. 1919)
- Feb 22 Aldredo de Escragnolle Taunay, Brazilian writer (Inocencia), musician and politician, born in Rio Janeiro, Brazil (d. 1899)
- Mar 5 William F. Sudds, American composer, music publisher, and teacher, born in London, England (d. 1920) [1]
- Mar 6 Artur Napoleão dos Santos, Portuguese pianist, composer, and music publisher, born in Porto, Portugal (d. 1925)
- Mar 8 Vilhelm Svedbom, Swedish composer, born in Stockholm, Sweden (d. 1904)
- Apr 4 Hans Richter, Austrian-Hungarian composer, born in Raab, Kingdom of Hungary, Austro-Hungarian Empire (d. 1916)
- Apr 8 Asger Hamerik [Hammerich], Danish composer, and educator (Peabody Institute, 1878-91), born in Frederiksberg, Denmark (d. 1923)
- Apr 14 Gustave Leon Huberti, Belgian composer, born in Brussels, Belgium (d. 1910)
- Apr 15 Carl Eilhardt, German composer and conductor, born in Erfurt, Province of Saxony, Kingdom of Prussia (d. 1911)
- May 2 Karl Michael Ziehrer, Austrian composer, born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1922)
- May 20 Pedro Miguel Marques y Garcia, Spanish violinist and composer, born in Palma, Majorca, Spain (d. 1918)
- May 29 Émile Pessard, French pianist, concert and comic opera composer, and teacher (Maurice Ravel, Jacques Ibert), born in Paris (d. 1917)
- Jun 10 Heinrich von Herzogenberg, Austrian composer, born in Graz, Austria (d. 1900)
- Jun 15 Edvard Grieg, Norwegian composer (Bewitched One), born in Bergen, Norway (d. 1907)
- Jun 16 David Popper, Bohemian composer and cellist, born in Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia (now Czech Republic) (d. 1913)
- Jun 16 Jan Malát, Czech composer, pedagogue, and musicologist, born in Starý Bydžov, Austro-Hungarian Empire (d. 1915)
- Jun 19 Charles-Édouard Lefebvre, French composer, born in Paris (d. 1917)
- Aug 4 Florimond Van Duyse, Belgian composer and musicologist, born in Ghent (d. 1910)
- Aug 5 James Scott Skinner, Scottish composer and dancing master, born in Arbeadie, Scotland (d. 1927)
- Aug 26 Georg August Lumbye, Danish composer and conductor (Tivoli Concert Hall Orchestra), born in Copenhagen (d. 1922)
- Sep 4 Ján Levoslav Bella, Slovak composer, born in Liptovský Mikuláš, Austrian Empire (d. 1936)
- Sep 21 David Emlyn Evans, Welsh composer, born in Pen’ralltwen, Newcastle Emlyn, Carmarthen, Wales (d. 1913)
- Nov 2 Caryl Florio [William James Robjohn], English-American composer, born in Tavistock, Devon, England (d. 1920)
- Nov 2 Elek Erkel, Hungarian composer, son of Ferenc Erkel, born in Pest (d. 1893)
- Nov 16 Manuel Gregorio Tavárez, Puerto Rican composer, born in San Juan, Puerto Rico (d. 1883)
- Nov 23 Josef Sucher, Hungarian composer and conductor (Aus alten Märchen), born in Döbör, Hungary (d. 1908)
- Dec 13 George Stephănescu, Romanian composer, born in Bucharest, Romania (d. 1925)
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