- Jan 6 Georges Martin Witkowski, French conductor and composer, born in Mostaganem, Algeria (d. 1943)
- Jan 9 Jacques Urlus, Dutch dramatic tenor (Opera of Leipzig, 1900-14; Tristan und Isolde; Song of the Earth), born in Hergenrath, Rhine Province (now part of Kelmis, Belgium) (d. 1935)
- Jan 20 Yvette Guilbert [Emma Laure Esther Guilbert], French singer and actress, born in Paris, France (d. 1944)
- Jan 23 Herbert Bedford, English author and composer, born in Holborn, London, England (d. 1945)
- Jan 27 Claude Terrasse, French organist and operetta composer, born in L’Arbresle, Rhône, France (d. 1923)
- Feb 9 Edward Naylor, British composer and organist, born in Scarborough, England (d. 1934)
- Feb 21 Otto Hermann Kahn, German-American banker and patron of the arts, organized Metropolitan Opera Company, born in Mannheim, Baden, German Confederation (d. 1934)
- Feb 27 Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Swedish composer and music critic, born in Ullånger, Sweden (d. 1942)
- Mar 3 Gustav Strube, German-American conductor (Baltimore Symphony, 1916-30), composer (The Captive), and educator (Peabody Conservatory), born in Ballenstadt, Kingdom of Saxony (d. 1953)
- Mar 15 Will Rossiter, British-American songwriter, music publisher, and composer (as W.R. Williams), born in Wells, England (d. 1954)
Arturo Toscanini (1867-1957)
Mar 25 Italian cellist and conductor (La Scala, 1898-1908 & 1921-29; Metropolitan Opera, 1908-15; New York Philharmonic, 1926-36; NBC Symphony Orchestra, 1937-41 & 1944-54), born in Parma, Kingdom of Italy
- Mar 27 Edyth Walker, American opera singer, born in Hopewell, New York (d. 1950)
- May 4 Dynam-Victor Fumet, French composer and organist, born in Toulouse, France (d. 1949)
- May 5 T. Tertius Noble, English composer, born in Bath, England (d. 1953)
- May 21 Désiré Pâque, Belgian organist, composer, and pedagogue, born in Liège, Belgium (d. 1939)
- Jun 7 Luigi Maurizio Tedeschi, Italian composer, born in Turin, Italy (d. 1944)
- Jul 27 Enrique Granados, Spanish concert pianist, and composer (Goyescas), born in Lérida, Spain (d. 1916)
- Aug 11 Joe Weber, American vaudeville comedian, singer (Weber and Fields), and theatrical producer, born in New York City (d. 1942)
- Aug 13 Rudolf Georg Binding, German songwriter and writer (Legenden Der Zeit), born in Basel, Switzerland (d. 1938)
- Aug 28 Umberto Giordano, Italian composer, chiefly of opera (was Andrea Chénier; Fedora; La cena delle beffe), born in Foggia, Apulia, Kingdom of Italy (d. 1948)
Amy Beach (1867-1944)
Sep 5 American pianist and composer (Gaelic Symphony), born in Henniker, New Hampshire
- Sep 7 Evan Williams, American oratorio tenor, born in Mineral Ridge, Ohio (d. 1918)
- Oct 20 Fini Henriques, Danish composer and violinist (Vølund Smed), born in Frederiksberg, Denmark (d. 1940)
- Oct 24 Franco Leoni, Italian composer, born in Milan (d. 1949)
- Nov 3 Siegfried Garibaldi Kallenberg, German composer, born in Bad Schachen, Kingdom of Bavaria (d. 1944)
- Nov 8 Ilmari Krohn, Finnish composer, born in Helsinki, Finland (d. 1960)
- Nov 20 Vicente Ripollés, Spanish composer, born in Castellón de la Plana, Spain (d. 1943)
- Nov 27 Charles Koechlin, French composer (The Jungle Book), born in Paris (d. 1950)
- Nov 27 Margaret Ruthven Lang, American composer (Irish Love Song), born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 1972)
- Dec 21 John Winter Thompson, American organist, born in Michigan (d. 1951)
Country Singers
Jazz Musicians
Opera Singers
Pop Stars
Rappers
Rockers