- Jan 9 Mary Carr Moore, American composer, dies at 83
Arturo Toscanini (1867-1957)
Jan 16 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), dies after a stroke in NYC at 89
- Feb 7 Rudolph Reti, Serbian composer, dies at 71
- Feb 16 Józef Hofmann, Polish-American pianist, composer, educator (Curtis Institute, 1924-38), and inventor, (pneumatic shock absorbers), dies of pneumonia at 81
- Feb 23 Marika Ninou, Greek singer (b. 1918)
- Feb 25 Kurt von Wolfurt, German composer, dies at 76
- Mar 8 Othmar Schoeck, Swiss composer, chiefly of art songs, and conductor, dies at 70 [1]
- Mar 25 Joseph "Fud" Livingston, American jazz clarinetist, arranger, and composer ("I'm Thru With Love") and composer, dies at 50
- Apr 15 Pedro Infante, Mexican actor and ranchero singer, dies as co-pilot in a plane crash at 39
- Apr 29 Olallo Morales, Spanish-Swedish pianist, composer, conductor, and educator, dies at 82
- Apr 30 Ludwig Schiedermair, German musicologist (Beethoven), dies at 80
- May 2 Tadeusz Zygfryd Kassern, Polish composer and cultural attache, dies at 53
- May 5 Mikhail Gnesin, Russian composer (Vrubel; The Youth Of Abraham), dies at 74
- May 9 Ezio Pinza, Italian American operatic bass (NY Metropolitan Opera, 1926-48), and Tony Award-winning singer (South Pacific), dies at 64
- May 17 Shalva Azmayparashvili, composer, dies at 54
- May 21 Aleksandr Vertinsky, Russian singer (b. 1889)
- May 29 George Bacovia [Vasiliu], Romanian poet and composer (Plumb), dies at 75
- Jun 9 Robert Oboussier, Swiss composer, dies at 56
- Jun 12 Jimmy Dorsey, American big band jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, composer, and bandleader (Green Eyes; Tangerine; Pennies From Heaven), dies of throat cancer at 53
- Jun 28 Ede Poldini, Hungarian composer (La poupée valsante; The Vagabond and the Princess), dies at 88
- Jul 3 Richard Mohaupt, German composer (Bucolica), dies at 52
- Jul 8 Henry Février, French composer, dies at 81
- Jul 9 Alexander Fyodorovich Gedike, Soviet-Russian pianist, and composer, dies at 80
- Jul 20 Phil Hanna, singer (Once Upon a Tune), dies at 46
- Jul 30 Sem Dresden, Dutch composer and conductor, dies at 76
- Aug 18 Wawrzyniec Żuławski, Polish composer, dies during an alpine rescue mission on Mont Blanc, in the Alps, at 41
- Aug 24 Albert Edward Sammons, British violinist, and composer (Phantasy Quartet), dies at 71
- Sep 1 Dennis Brain, British classical horn player (Serenade), killed in a car wreck at 38
- Sep 11 Petar Stojanovic, Serbian composer, dies at 80
Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)
Sep 20 Finnish composer (Valse Triste, Finlandia), dies at 91
- Sep 28 Luis Cluzeau-Mortet, Uruguayan composer, dies at 67
- Oct 14 [Carl] Natanael Berg, Swedish composer, dies at 78
- Nov 4 Joseph Canteloube, French composer and musicologist (collected French folksongs), dies at 78
- Nov 9 Ettore Pozzoli, Italian classical pianist and composer, dies at 84
- Nov 20 Weldon Hart, American composer, commits suicide at 46
- Nov 29 Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Austrian-American composer (Violanta; The Adventures of Robin Hood), dies at 60
- Nov 30 Beniamino Gigli, Italian lyric tenor (La Gioconde - "Enzo"; Metropolitan Opera, 1920-32),dies of pneumonia at 67
- Nov 30 Dick McPartland, American jazz guitarist, dies at 52
- Dec 12 Robert Frank Kurka, American composer ("The Good Soldier Schweik"), dies of leukemia at 35
- Dec 20 Walter Page, American jazz double bassist, baritone saxophonist, tuba player, and bandleader (Blue Devils; Count Basie Orchestra), dies at 57
- Dec 21 Eric Coates, English viola palyer and composer, dies at 71
- Dec 26 Artur Malawski, Polish violinist, conductor, composer (Mountaineers Triptych), and pedagogue, dies at 53
- Dec 28 Ernie Henry, American jazz saxophonist (Fats Navarro; Dizzy Gillespie; Illinois Jacquet), dies of a heroin overdose at 31
Country Singers
Jazz Musicians
Opera Singers
Pop Stars
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