- Jan 10 Fred Raymond, Austrian composer, dies at 53
- Jan 11 Oscar Straus, Austrian composer (Brave Soldier), dies at 83
- Jan 13 Roland Diggle, English-American composer, organist and choirmaster (St. John's Episcopal Church of Los Angeles, California), dies at 69
- Jan 27 Paul-Marie Masson, French musicologist (L’Opéra de Rameau), and composer, dies at 71
- Feb 2 Theodor Rogalski, Romanian composer, dies at 52
- Feb 4 Václav Vačkář, Czech composer, known for his marches, conductor, and musicologist, dies at 72
- Feb 5 Vittorio Gnecchi, Italian composer, dies at 77
- Feb 7 Jan Maklakiewicz, Polish composer, chiefly of choral music (Kołysanka - Lullaby; Ave Maria), conductor, and educator, dies at 54
- Mar 4 Georg Göhler, German composer (Rückert), dies at 79
- Mar 4 Noel Gay [Reginald Moxon Armitage], British composer (Who's Been Polishing the Sun), dies at 55
- Mar 6 Louis Zimmermann, Dutch violinist (1st concert master of Amsterdam Symphony), composer, and educator, dies at 80
- Mar 14 Ludomir Michał Rogowski, Polish composer, dies at 72
- Mar 19 Walter Braunfels, German composer (Die Vögel -The Birds), dies at 71
- Mar 21 Harry Lawrence Freeman, African-American composer, dies at 84
- Apr 5 Claude Delvincourt, French composer and pianist, dies at 66
- Apr 9 Philip Greeley Clapp, American composer and educator (University of Iowa, 1919-54), dies at 65
- Apr 14 Lillian "Lil" Green, American blues singer and songwriter ("Romance In The Dark"), dies at 39 [or 57, or 48 - year of birth disputed]
- Apr 15 Arthur Fickenscher, American microtonal composer, and educator (University of Virginia, 1920-41), dies at 82
- Apr 15 Juan Vicente Lecuna, Venezuelan diplomat and composer, dies at 54
- Apr 27 Torsten Ralf, Swedish operatic tenor (Daphne - "Apollo"), dies at 53
- May 2 Pauline Manifarges, Dutch contralto singer, dies at 82
- May 4 Pauline de Haan-Manifarges, Dutch concert and opera contralto singer, dies at 82
- May 16 Clemens Krauss, Austrian conductor (Vienna State Opera; Berlin State Opera), dies at 61
- May 21 János Hammerschlag, Hungarian composer, dies at 68
- May 28 Achille Longo, Italian composer and pedagogue, dies at 54
- Jun 10 Will Rossiter, British-American songwriter, music publisher, and composer (as W.R. Williams), dies at 87
- Jun 13 Nikolai Obukhov, Russian composer, dies at 62
- Jun 17 Donato "Danny" Cedrone, American guitarist and bandleader (The Esquires; Bill Haley & His Comets - "Rock Around The Clock"), died of broken neck suffered falling down a staircase at 33
- Jun 27 Francis L Casadesus, French violinist, composer and conductor, dies at 83
- Jul 9 Henri Dillon, French composer (Arlequin), dies in combat in Indo-China at 41
- Jul 19 Jean Roger-Ducasse, French composer, dies at 81
- Aug 2 Rene Amengual, Chilean pianist, composer and educator, dies at 42
- Aug 8 Gino Tagliapietra, Italian pianist and composer (Antologia di musica antica e moderna per pianoforte), dies at 67
- Aug 13 Hermann W. S. Waltershausen, German musicologist and composer, dies at 71
- Aug 17 Billy Murray, American singer (Denver Nightengale), dies at 77
- Sep 9 Alfred Gradstein, Polish composer, dies at 49
- Sep 10 Peter Anders, German opera singer, dies at 46
- Sep 11 Licinio Refice, Italian priest and composer (Cecilia), dies at 69
- Sep 19 Tibor Harsányi, Hungarian pianist, composer, and conductor who settled Paris, France, dies at 56
- Oct 5 Flor Alpaerts, Flemish composer (Tyl Uilenspiegel, Pallieter), dies at 78
- Oct 6 Hakon Børresen, Danish composer, dies at 78
- Oct 23 Henri Zagwijn, Dutch composer and musicologist, dies at 76 [1]
- Oct 27 Franco Alfano, Italian opera composer (Puccini's Turandot), dies at 78
- Nov 5 Oran "Hot Lips" Page, American jazz trumpeter, singer, and bandleader, dies at 46
- Nov 11 J. Rosamond Johnson, American composer ("Lift Every Voice And Sing"), dies at 81
- Nov 21 Karol Rathaus, German-Austrian composer, dies at 59
- Nov 29 George Robey, English musical theatre actor and comedian, dies at 85
- Nov 29 Ollie "Dink" Johnson, American Dixieland jazz clarinetist, pianist, and drummer, dies at 62
- Nov 30 Wilhelm Furtwängler, German conductor and composer, dies at 68
- Dec 1 Fred Rose, American songwriter and music publishing executive (Nashville's Acuff-Rose Music), dies of a heart attack at 57
- Dec 3 Enrique Soro, Chilean composer, dies at 70
- Dec 4 Nina Varzar, wife of Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich, dies at 46
- Dec 20 Emilis Melngailis, Latvian choral composer, folklorist, and conductor (Latvian Song and Dance Festival), dies at 80
- Dec 25 Johnny Ace, American rhythm and blues singer, accidentally shoots himself in the head at 25
- Dec 25 Rosario Scalero, composer, dies at 84
- Dec 31 Peter Van Anrooy, Dutch conductor and composer (Piet Hein Rhapsodie), dies at 75
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