Birthdays in Music
- 1486-01-06 Martin Agricola [Sohr], German Renaissance composer, cantor, and music theorist, born in Świebodzin, Bohemian Silesia (now Poland) (d. 1556)
- 1591-06-16 Joseph Solomon Delmedigo, Italian physician, mathematician, and music theorist, born in Candia, Crete (d. 1655)
- 1655-09-12 Sebastien de Brossard, French composer and music theorist, born in Dompierre, Orne, France (d. 1730)
- 1679-01-19 Girolamo Chiti, Italian composer and music theorist, born in Siena, Grand Duchy of Tuscany (d. 1759)
- 1683-04-17 Johann David Heinichen, German Baroque composer and music theorist, born in Krössuln, Electorate of Saxony (now Teuchern, Germany) (d. 1729)
- 1708-05-03 Johann Adolph Scheibe, German music theorist and composer, born in Leipzig, Germany (d. 1776)
- 1721-04-24 Johann Philipp Kirnberger, German music theorist and violist, baptized in Saalfeld, Duchy of Saxe-Saalfeld, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1783)
- 1737-10-22 Vincenzo Manfredini, Italian harpsichordist, composer, and music theorist, born in Pistoia, Grand Duchy of Tuscany (now Italy) (d. 1799)
- 1783-03-08 Gottfied Wilhelm Fink, German Protestant clergyman, composer, music theorist, and poet, born in Sulza, Duchy of Saxe-Eisenach, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1846)
- 1788-08-26 Aloys Schmitt, German pianist, composer and music theorist (Preparatory Exercises, Op. 16), born in Erlenbach am Main, Bavaria, Germany (d. 1866)
- 1788-10-11 Simon Sechter, Austrian composer and music theorist, born in Frymburk, Bohemia (d. 1867)
- 1795-05-15 Adolf Bernhard Marx [Samuel Moses Marx], German music theorist and pedagogue, born in Halle, Duchy of Magdeburg, Holy Roman Empire (now Germany) (d. 1866)
- 1799-04-13 Ludwig Rellstab, German music theorist, born in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia (d. 1860)
- 1807-06-02 Robert Führer, Czech composer of sacred music, and music theorist, born in Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia (now Czech Republic) (d. 1861)
- 1808-08-10 Carl Friedrich Weitzmann, German composer, conductor, and music theorist, born in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia (now Germany) (d. 1880)
- 1848-05-12 Cyrill Kistler, German composer, educator, and music theorist, born in Großaitingen, Swabia, Germany (d. 1907)
- 1862-09-30 Georgy Eduardovich Konyus (Conus), Russian composer, and music theorist, born in Moscow, Russia (d. 1933)
- 1883-03-19 Josef Matthias Hauer, Austrian composer and music theorist, born in Wiener Neustadt, Austria (d. 1959)
- 1887-12-07 Ernst Toch, Austrian composer (Geographical Fugue), music theorist (Melodielehre), and Pulitzer Prize winner (1956), born in n Leopoldstadt, Vienna, Austria (d. 1964)
- 1891-06-21 Hermann Scherchen, German conductor (Winterthur Symphony Orchestra, 1922-50), and music theorist (Lehrbuch des Dirigierens -Treatise on Conducting), born in Berlin, Germany (d. 1966)
- 1891-07-13 Franco Casavola, Italian composer, music theorist, and futurist, born in Modugno, Italy (d. 1955)
- 1893-12-26 Yury Nikolayevich Tyulin, Russian composer and music theorist, born in Reval, Russian Empire (d. 1976)
Walter Piston (1894-1976)
1894-01-20 Jr., American two-time Pulitzer Prize winning composer (Incredible Flutist), music theorist, and educator (Harvard, 1926-60), born in Rockland, Maine
- 1895-08-31 Joseph Schillinger, Ukrainian-American composer, music theorist, and eductaor, born in Kharkiv, Russian Empire (now Ukraine) (d. 1943) [some source give birthday as September 1]
- 1905-05-24 Zdeněk Blažek, Czech composer and music theorist (Verchovina), born in Žarošice, Moravia (d. 1988)
- 1906-10-10 Paul Creston [Giuseppe Guttoveggio], Italian-American composer (Zanoni), educator, and music theorist (Creative Harmony), born in New York City (d. 1985)
- 1914-09-23 Norman Cazden, American composer, educator, and music theorist, born in New York City (d. 1980)
- 1922-05-29 Iannis Xenakis, Greek-French composer, music theorist, and architect who helped revolutionize 20th century classical music (Metastaseis), born in Brăila, Romania (d. 2001)
- 1923-06-23 George Russell, American jazz pianist, composer, arranger (The Jazz Workshop; Jazz in the Space Age), and music theorist (Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization), born in Cincinnati, Ohio (d. 2009)
- 1923-09-15 David Kraehenbuehl, American composer (March of the Trolls), pianist, teacher (Yale), and music theorist (Journal of Music Theory), born in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois (d. 1997)
- 1927-03-08 Jaromir Podešva, Czech composer (Fragments of the Quinguennium), music theorist, and pedagogue, born in Brno, Czechoslovakia (d. 2000)
- 1927-09-27 Boris Porena, Italian composer, music theorist, poet, and writer, born in Rome, Italy (d. 2022)
- 1927-10-04 Walter Bishop, Jr, American bebop jazz pianist, music theorist, and educator, born in New York City (d. 1998)
- 1928-01-10 Wallace Berry, American-Canadian composer, educator, and music theorist, born in La Crosse, Wisconsin (d. 1991)
- 1928-03-30 Diether de la Motte, German composer and music theorist, born in Bonn, Germany (d. 2010)
- 1943-03-10 Alfred Whitford 'Fred' Lerdahl, American composer (Arches), pedagogue, and music theorist, born in Madison, Wisconsin
- 1954-12-24 Cynthia Folio, American composer (Touch the Angel's Hand), flutist, music theorist, and professor (Temple University), born in Belvoir, Virginia
Deaths in Music
- 1050-05-17 Guido van Arezzo, Italian music theorist and Benedictine monk, dies at about 59 [dates sketchy]
- 1552-02-26 Heinrich Faber, German singer, music theorist, and composer, dies at about 52
- 1563-03-28 Heinrich Glarean, Swiss music theorist (b. 1488)
- 1572-08-29 Claude Goudimel, French composer, music theorist, music editor and publisher, dies between 52 and 58 [birthdate disputed]
- 1655-10-16 Joseph Solomon Delmedigo, Italian physician, mathematician, and music theorist, dies at 64
- 1729-07-16 Johann David Heinichen, German Baroque composer and music theorist, dies of tuberculosis at 46
- 1730-08-10 Sebastien de Brossard, French composer and music theorist, dies at 74
- 1741-02-13 Johann Joseph Fux, Austrian composer/music theorist, dies at about 80
- 1759-09-04 Girolamo Chiti, Italian composer and music theorist, dies at 80
- 1776-04-22 Johann Adolph Scheibe, German music theorist and composer, dies at 67
- 1783-07-27 Johann Philipp Kirnberger, German music theorist and violist, dies at 62
- 1789-09-12 Franz Xaver Richter, Austro-Moravian singer, violinist, composer, conductor and music theorist, dies at 79
- 1799-08-16 Vincenzo Manfredini, Italian harpsichordist, composer, and music theorist, dies at 61
- 1860-11-28 Ludwig Rellstab, German music theorist, dies at 61
- 1861-11-28 Robert Führer, Czech composer of sacred music, and music theorist, dies at 54
- 1866-05-17 Adolf Bernhard Marx [Samuel Moses Marx], German music theorist and pedagogue, dies at 71
- 1866-07-25 Aloys Schmitt, German pianist, composer and music theorist (Preparatory Exercises, Op. 16), dies at 77
- 1867-09-10 Simon Sechter, Austrian composer and music theorist, dies at 78
- 1880-11-07 Carl Friedrich Weitzmann, German composer, conductor, and music theorist, dies at 72
- 1901-11-25 Josef Gabriel Rheinberger, German composer/music theorist, dies at 62
- 1907-01-01 Cyrill Kistler, German composer, educator, and music theorist, dies at 58
- 1933-08-29 Georgy Eduardovich Konyus, Russian composer, and music theorist, dies at 70
- 1942-08-11 Richard Heinrich Stein, German composer, and music theorist (La musica moderna), dies at 60
- 1955-07-07 Franco Casavola, Italian composer, music theorist, and futurist, dies at 63
- 1959-09-22 Josef Matthias Hauer, Austrian composer and music theorist, dies at 76
- 1964-10-01 Ernst Toch, Austrian composer (Geographical Fugue), music theorist (Melodielehre), and Pulitzer Prize winner (1956), dies at 76
- 1965-09-09 Julián Antonio Carillo Trujillo, Mexican violinist, conductor and composer (D.W. Griffith's Intolerance), and music theorist (Sonido 13 / The Thirteenth Sound), dies at 90
- 1966-06-12 Hermann Scherchen, German conductor (Winterthur Symphony Orchestra, 1922-50), and music theorist (Lehrbuch des Dirigierens -Treatise on Conducting), dies at 74
Walter Piston (1894-1976)
1976-11-12 Jr, American two-time Pulitzer Prize winning composer (Incredible Flutist), music theorist, and educator (Harvard, 1926-60), dies at 82
- 1980-08-18 Norman Cazden, American composer, educator, and music theorist, dies at 65
- 1981-10-14 Ingemar Liljefors, Swedish composer, pianist, pedagogue, and music theorist, dies at 74
- 1985-08-24 Paul Creston [Giuseppe Guttoveggio], Italian-American composer (Zanoni), educator, and music theorist (Creative Harmony), dies at 78
- 1988-06-19 Zdeněk Blažek, Czech composer and music theorist (Verchovina), dies at 83
- 1991-11-16 Wallace Berry, American-Canadian composer, educator, and music theorist, dies at 63
- 1997-01-03 David Kraehenbuehl, American composer (March of the Trolls), pianist, teacher (Yale), and music theorist (Journal of Music Theory), dies of a heart attack at 73
- 1998-01-24 Walter Bishop, Jr, American bebop jazz pianist, music theorist, and educator, dies of a heart attack at 70
- 2001-02-04 Iannis Xenakis, Romanian-born, Greek-French composer, music theorist, and architect who helped revolutionize 20th century classical music (Metastaseis), dies after several years of serious illness at 78
- 2008-01-18 Frank Lewin, German-American composer and music theorist (Yale, 1971-92), dies at 82
- 2009-07-27 George Russell, American jazz pianist, composer, arranger (The Jazz Workshop; Jazz in the Space Age), and music theorist (Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization), dies of complications from Alzheimer's disease at 86
- 2010-05-15 Diether de la Motte, German composer and music theorist, dies at 82
- 2022-05-27 Boris Porena, Italian composer, music theorist, poet, and writer, dies at 94