- Jan 1 Maurice Jacobson, British concert pianist, composer, and music publisher, born in London, England (d. 1976)
- Jan 1 Yitzhak Edel, Israeli composer, born in Warsaw, Russian Poland (d. 1973)
- Jan 2 Ernst-Lothar von Knorr, German composer, and music educator, born in Eitorf, Germany (d. 1973)
- Jan 8 Jaromir Weinberger, Czech-American composer (Bird's Opera), born in Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia (now Czech Republic) (d. 1967)
- Jan 9 Warwick Braithwaite, New Zealand-British conductor, primarily of opera, born in Dunedin, New Zealand (d. 1971)
- Jan 15 Jacobo Ficher, Argentine composer, born in Odesa, Ukraine (d. 1978)
- Jan 17 Harry Reser, American banjo player and bandleader (Sammy Kaye Show), born in Piqua, Ohio (d. 1965)
- Jan 20 Elmer Diktonius, Finnish poet, composer, and musicologist (Janne Kubrik; Stenkol), born in Helsinki, Finland (d. 1961)
- Jan 20 George Burns [Nathan Birnbaum], American actor, comedian and singer (Oh God; Burns and Allen), born in New York City (d. 1996)
- Jan 25 Florence Mills [Winfrey], American cabaret singer, dancer and comedian, known as 'the Queen of Happiness', born in Washington, D.C. (d. 1927)
- Feb 16 Alexander Brailowsky, Russian-French pianist (Chopin specialist), born in Kiev, Russian Empire (d. 1976)
- Feb 21 Sylvain Poons, Dutch stage actor and singer (Blue Jackets), born in Amsterdam, Netherlands (d. 1985)
- Feb 22 Nacio Herb Brown, American composer (Singin' In The Rain), born in Deming, New Mexico (d. 1964)
- Feb 26 Eduard Flipse, Dutch conductor and composer, born in Wissenkerke, Netherlands (d. 1973)
- Feb 29 Wladimir Rudolfovich Vogel, Swiss composer, born in Zurich (d. 1984)
- Mar 1 Dimitri Mitropoulos, Greek-American pianist, conductor (Minneapolis Symphony, 1937-49; New York Philharmonic, 1949-58), and composer, born in Athens, Greece (d. 1960)
- Mar 7 Erwin Bodky, German-American composer, born in Ragnit, East Prussia (d. 1958)
- Mar 12 Jesse Fuller, American one-man blues band ("San Francisco Bay Blues"), born in Jonesboro, Georgia (d. 1979)
- Mar 26 Richard Flury, Swiss composer, born in Biberist, Switzerland (d. 1967)
- Apr 8 Karl Hermann Pillney, Austrian composer and painist, born in Graz, Austria-Hungary (d. 1980)
- Apr 8 Yip Harburg [Isidore Hochberg], American lyricist ("Over The Rainbow"; "It's Only A Paper Moon"), born in New York City (d. 1981)
- Apr 29 Jacques Wolfe, Romanian-American composer, born in Botoşani, Romania (d. 1973)
- Apr 30 "Reverend" Gary Davis, American blues and folk guitarist ("Samson And Delilah"; A Little More Faith), born in Laurens, South Carolina (d. 1972)
- May 11 Josip Slavenski, Croatian composer and pedagogue, born in Čakovec, Croatia-Slavonia, Austria-Hungary (d. 1955)
- May 17 Brasílio Itiberê da Cunha Luz, Brazilian composer, born in Curitiba, State of Paraná, Brazil (d. 1967)
- May 28 Marius Monnikendam, Dutch choir composer, born in Haarlem, Netherlands (d. 1977)
- Jun 18 George Thalben-Ball, Australian-English organist (Birmingham City Organist, 1949-83), and composer (Elegy), born in Sydney, Australia (d. 1987)
- Jun 20 Wilfred Pelletier, Canadian conductor (Voice of Firestone), born in Montreal, Quebec (d. 1982)
- Jul 4 Adolph Hallis, South African concert pianist, classical and film score composer, and teacher, born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa (d. 1987)
- Aug 2 Lorenzo Herrera, Venezuelan singer and composer, born in Caracas, Venezuela (d. 1960)
- Aug 6 Cyril Mockridge, British composer for film and television (Miracle On 34th Street; The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance), born in London (d. 1979)
- Aug 9 Leonide Massine, Russian ballet dancer and choreographer (Diaghilev Ballets Russes, 1914-20), born in Moscow, Russian Empire (d. 1979)
- Aug 13 Leo Pappenheim, Dutch conductor, born in Amsterdam (d. 1982)
- Aug 19 Eino Linnala, Finnish composer, pedagogue (University of Helsinki, 1927-66), and musicologist, born in Helsinki, Finland (d. 1973)
- Aug 19 Walter Lang, Swiss composer, born in Basel, Switzerland (d. 1966)
- Aug 26 Richard Pindle Hammond, American composer, born in Kent, England (d. 1980)
- Aug 27 Leon Theremin, Russian-Soviet electronic musical instruments inventor, born in St. Petersburg, Russia (d. 1993)
- Sep 2 Amanda Randolph, American jazz and blues piano player and singer; stage, radio, and screen actress (The Laytons; Amos 'n Andy - "Ramona"; Danny Thomas Show - "Louise"), born in Louisville, Kentucky (d. 1967)
- Sep 4 Antonin Artaud, French songwriter and director (Theatre Seraphin), born in Marseille, France (d. 1948)
- Sep 8 Elmer Schoebel, American jazz pianist, arranger (New Orleans Rhythm Kings; Isham Jones), and composer ("Farewell Blues"; "Prince Of Wails"), born in East St. Louis, Illinois (d. 1970)
- Sep 8 Howard Dietz, American lyricist and librettist ("Dancing In The Dark"; "I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plans"), born in New York City (d. 1983)
- Sep 9 Fritz Reutter, German composer and pedagogue, born in Löbtau, Saxony, German Empire (d. 1963)
- Sep 10 Adele Astaire [Lady Charles Cavendish], American dancer and entertainer, sister of Fred Astaire (Last Man on Earth; Millie), born in Omaha, Nebraska (d. 1981)
- Sep 13 Tadeusz Szeligowski, Polish composer (The Peacock and the Girl), born in Lemberg, Austro-Hungarian Galicia (now Lviv, Ukraine) (d. 1963)
- Sep 25 Roberto Gerhard, Spanish Catalan composer (the Plague), born in Valls, Catalonia, Spain (d. 1970)
- Sep 29 Štefan Németh-Šamorínsky, Slovak organist, choirmaster, composer and pedagogue (Birch Trees), born in Šamorín, Slovakia, Kingdom of Hungary (d. 1975)
- Oct 6 Frutuoso de Lima Viana, Brazilian pianist and composer, born in Itajubá, Brazil (d. 1976)
- Oct 6 Otto Siegl, Austrian composer, born in Graz (d. 1978)
Howard Hanson (1896-1981)
Oct 28 American classical music composer and conductor (Nordic), born in Wahoo, Nebraska
- Oct 30 Anatoly Novikov, Russian-Soviet composer (Red Spider; The Hymn of Democratic Youth of the World), choral conductor, and pedagogue, born in Skopin, Russia (d. 1984)
- Oct 31 Ethel Waters, American actress (Beulah), singer (Stormy Weather), born in Chester, Pennsylvania (d. 1977)
- Nov 9 Mykhaylo Verikivsky, Ukrainian composer, born in Kremenets, Ukraine (d. 1962)
- Nov 16 Lawrence Tibbett, American baritone (Metropolitan 1923-50), born in Bakersfield, California (d. 1960)
- Nov 22 Mario Labroca, Italian composer, born in Rome (d. 1973)
- Nov 23 Joris Vriamont, Flemish author and music publisher, born in Lincent, Belgium (d. 1961)
- Nov 23 Ruth Etting, American stage, radio, and screen singer ("Shine On Harvest Moon"; "Ten Cents A Dance"), and actress (Roman Scandals; Ziegfeld Follies), born in David City, Nebraska (d. 1978)
- Nov 23 Viktor Kosenko, Russian-Ukrainian pianist, composer (Moldavian Poem), and educator, born in Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire (d. 1938)
- Nov 25 Rex Maupin, American orchestra leader (Tin Pan Alley TV), born in St Joseph, Missouri (d. 1966)
- Nov 25 Virgil Thomson, American composer and music critic (Four Saints in Three Acts; Louisiana Story), born in Kansas City, Missouri (d. 1989)
- Nov 28 Lilia Skala, Austrian actress (House of Games, Flashdance, Charly), born in Vienna, Austria-Hungary (d. 1994)
- Dec 1 Petko Staynov, Bulgarian composer, born in Kazanlak, Bulgaria (d. 1977)
- Dec 3 Bolesław Szabelski, Polish organist and composer, born in Radoryż Smolany, Russian Poland (d. 1979)
- Dec 4 Larry Stock, American songwriter ("Blueberry Hill"; "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You"), born in New York City (d. 1984)
- Dec 6 Arnold Foster, English composer, born in Sheffield, England (d. 1963)
Ira Gershwin (1896-1983)
Dec 6 American lyricist ("Embraceable You"; "I Got Rhythm"; "They Can't Take That Away From Me"), born in New York City
Roger Sessions (1896-1985)
Dec 28 American Pulitzer Prize winning composer (Concerto for Orchestra; The Black Maskers), musicologist, and educator (Princeton, 1936-45, 53-65; Berkeley, 1945-53), born in Brooklyn, New York
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