- Jan 17 Jose White Lafitte, Cuban-French violinist and composer, born in Matanzas, Cuba (d. 1918)
- Jan 31 Henryk Szulc, Polish composer, born in Poland (d. 1903)
- Feb 1 Emil Hartmann, Danish organist and composer (Towards The Light), born in Copenhagen, Denmark (d. 1898)
- Feb 16 Benjamin Edward Woolf, British-American violinist, composer (The Mighty Dollar), playwright, and journalist, born in London, England (d. 1901)
- Feb 21 (Clement) Léo Delibes, French romantic composer (Coppélia; Sylvia; Le roi l'a dit; Lakmé), born in Saint-Germain-du-Val, France (d. 1891)
- Feb 22 Eduard Wachmann, Romanian composer, conductor and university professor, born in Bucharest, Wallachia (d. 1908)
- Mar 15 Henrique Alves de Mesquita, Brazilian composer, conductor and educator, born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (d. 1906)
- Mar 21 Jesús de Monasterio, Spanish violinist, conductor, composer, and pedagogue (Madrid Conservatory, 1857-1903), born in Potes, Cantabria, Spain (d. 1903)
- Apr 4 (Charles) Jerome Hopkins, American composer, pianist, critic, and musical education advocate, born in Burlington, Vermont (d. 1898)
- May 18 Sydir Vorobkevych, Ukrainian composer, poet, newspaper editor, and Orthodox priest, born in Chernivtsi, Ukraine (d. 1903)
- Jul 11 Antônio Carlos Gomes, Brazilian opera composer, first from outside of Europe with successful career in Italy, born in Campinas, São Paulo, Empire of Brazil (d. 1896)
- Aug 10 José Teodor Vilar, Spanish organist and composer (La Rambla de les Flors), born in Barcelona, Spain (d. 1905)
- Aug 16 John Farmer, English composer, born in Nottingham (d. 1901)
- Sep 10 Karl Merz, German-American composer (Brainard's Musical World), born in Bernsheim, Germany (d. 1890)
W. S. Gilbert (1836-1911)
Nov 18 English dramatist, poet librettist remembered for his comic operas with Arthur Sullivan (The Pirates of Penzance; H.M.S. Pinafore; The Mikdao), born in London
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