Jan 4 Thomas H. Rollinson, American composer, conductor and bandleader, born in Ware, Massachusetts (d. 1928)
Jan 14 Clara Kathleen Rogers, American composer, born in Cheltenham, London, England (d. 1931)
Jan 20 Johan Peter Selmer, Norwegian composer, born in Christiania, Norway (d. 1910)
Jan 25 Frederick E. Kitziger, German composer, born in Altenburg, Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg (d. 1903)
Feb 2 Leander Schlegel, Dutch composer and pianist, born in Oegstgeest, Netherlands (d. 1913)
Feb 21 Charles-Marie Widor, French organist (Saint-Sulpice, 1870-1933), composer (10 organ symphonies), and professor (American Conservatory at Fontainebleau, 1921-34), born in Lyon, France (d. 1937)
Feb 22 Kazamierz Julian Kratzer, Polish composer, born in Kraków, Poland (d. 1890)
Mar 10 Pablo de Sarasate, Spanish violinist and composer (Spanish Dancer), born in Pamplona, Spain (d. 1908)
Mar 18 Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Russian composer (Scheherazade;Flight of the Bumblebee), born in Tikhvin, Russia (d. 1908)
Mar 23 Eugène Gigout, French organist (St Augustin de Paris, 1863-1925), and composer (10 pièces pour orgue), born in Nancy, France (d. 1925)
May 3 Richard D'Oyly Carte, English opera impresario (Gilbert & Sullivan operas), born in London (d. 1901)
May 8 Hermann Gradener, German composer, born in Kiel, Germany (d. 1929)
May 28 Léon Vasseur, French composer, born in Bapaume, France (d. 1917)
May 30 Louis Varney, French composer, born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 1908)
Jun 3 Emile Paladilhe, French composer, born in Montpellier, France (d. 1926)
Sep 11 George Martin, English composer and organist, born in Lambourn, Berkshire, England (d. 1916)
Oct 17 Miguel Nieto, Spanish composer, born in Reus, Spain (d. 1915)
Oct 18 Émile Mathieu, Belgian composer, born in Lille, France (d. 1932)
Nov 12 Octave Fouqué, French pianist and composer, born in Pau, France (d. 1883)
Dec 1 Alfred Cellier, British conductor (Glibert and Sullivan) and composer (Dorothy), born in South Hackney, London (d. 1891)
Dec 5 Frederick Bridge, English organist and composer, born in Oldbury, Worcestershire (d. 1924)
Dec 22 Izydor Lotto, Polish violinist and composer, born in Warsaw, Poland (d. 1927)