- Jan 26 Frederick Corder, British composer (The Nabob's Pickle), born in Hackney, London, England (d. 1932)
- Jan 29 Frederic Hymen Cowen, British pianist, conductor, and composer (Thorgrim), born in Kingston, Jamaica (d. 1935)
- Jan 31 Alfredo Napoleão dos Santos, Portuguese pianist, and composer, born in Porto, Portugal (d. 1917)
- Mar 6 Josef Bayer, Austrian composer, and music director (Austrian Court Ballet, 1883-1913), born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1913)
- Apr 14 Henrique Oswald, Brazilian composer, born in Rio de Janeiro (d. 1931)
- May 22 Émile Sauret, French violinist and composer, born in Dun-le-Roi, France (d. 1920)
- May 29 Heinrich Kàan-Albest, Bohemian pianist and composer, born in Ternopil, Austrian Empire (d. 1926)
- Jun 23 Raoul Pugno, Italian-French piano prodigy, organist (Church of Saint-Eugène, 1872–92), composer, and pedagogue (Paris Conservatoire, 1892-1901), born in Paris, France (d. 1914)
- Jun 28 Hans Huber, Swiss composer and pedagogue, born in Eppenberg-Wöschnau, Switzerland (d. 1921)
- Jul 5 Stefano Gobatti, Italian composer, born in Bergantino, Italy (d. 1913)
- Jul 6 John Albert Delany, Australian composer, born in Ratcliff, London (d. 1907)
- Aug 21 Benedetto Junck, Italian composer, born in Turin, Italy (d. 1903)
- Sep 30 Charles Villiers Stanford, Irish organist, conductor, composer, and music teacher (Royal College of Music, 1882-1924), born in Dublin, Ireland (d. 1924)
- Oct 15 Wilhelm Posse, German composer, born in Bromberg, Province of Posen (now Poland) (d. 1925)
- Nov 7 Bohdan Borkowski, Polish composer, born in Tenczynek, Kraków, Poland (d. 1901)
- Nov 21 Francisco Tárrega, Spanish composer, born in Villarreal, Spain (d. 1909)
- Nov 29 Paul Hillemacher, French composer, born in Paris, France (d. 1933)
- Dec 5 Thomas Laub, Danish organist and composer, born in Langå, Denmark (d. 1927)
- Dec 18 Gaetano Coronaro, Italian conductor, pedagogue, and composer (La Creola), born in Vicenza, Austrian Empire (now Italy) (d. 1908)