- Jan 1 Sydney Nelson, English song composer (Rose of Allendale), born in London, England (d. 1862)
- Jan 1 Václav Emanuel Horák, Czech composer, chiefly of liturgical music, organist, and kapellmeister, born in Lobeč, Kingdom of Bohemia (now Czech Republic) (d. 1871)
- Jan 14 Ludwig Ritter von Köchel, Austrian musicologist (Köchel catalogue of Mozart's works), born in Krems an der Donau, Austria (d. 1877)
- Apr 16 Jozef Stefani, Polish composer, born in Warsaw, Poland (d. 1876)
- Apr 24 Georg Hellmesberger Sr, Austrian violinist, conductor (Vienna Philharmonic, 1842-67), and composer, born in Vienna, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1873)
- May 6 Ferdinand Marcucci, Italian harpist and composer, born in Florence (d. 1871)
- May 10 Nikolai Titov, Russian Major General, violinist, and composer, born in St. Petersburg, Russia (d. 1875)
- May 17 Carl Friedrich Zöllner, German composer, born in Mittelhausen, Electorate of Saxony (now Germany) (d. 1860)
- Sep 16 Józef Nowakowski, Polish pianist and composer, born in Koryciska, Przysucha County, Poland (d. 1865)
- Nov 4 Eduard Brendler, Swedish composer, born in Dresden, Germany (d. 1831)
- Nov 6 Eduard Grell, German composer, born in Berlin, Germany (d. 1886)
- Nov 14 Heinrich Dorn, German composer and opera conductor, born in Königsberg, Prussia (now Kaliningrad, Russia) (d. 1892)
- Nov 15 George Rodwell, English composer, born in London (d. 1852)
- Dec 23 Marco Aurelio Zani de Ferranti, Italian classical guitarist and composer, born in Bologna, Italy (d. 1878)
- Dec 27 John Goss, British organist and composer (Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven), born in Fareham, Hampshire, England (d. 1880)