- Jan 15 Heinrich Vogl, German operatic heldentenor, born in Munich, Germany (d. 1900)
- Mar 5 Alfonse Hasselmans, Belgium born French composer and harpist (La Source), born in Liège, Belgium (d. 1912)
- Apr 18 Wilhelm Gericke, Austrian composer, born in Schwanberg, Austria (d. 1925)
- May 12 Gabriel Urbain Fauré, French organist, composer (Requiem; Ballade), and educator (Paris Conservatoire, 1905-20), born in Pamiers, France (d. 1924)
- Jun 7 Leopold von Auer, Hungarian-American violinist, born in Veszprém, Hungary (d. 1930)
- Aug 10 Abai Qunanbaiuli, Kazakh poet, composer and philosopher (d. 1904)
- Oct 12 Amintore Galli, Italian composer, born in Perticara, Italy (d. 1919)
- Oct 26 Hendrik Waelput, Flemish composer and conductor (Forest, Stella), born in Ghent, Belgium (d. 1885)
- Oct 30 Gustav Weber, composer
- Nov 14 Johann Ernst Perabo, composer
- Dec 25 Salvatore Auteri-Manzocchi, Italian opera composer (Graziella), born in Palermo, Italy (d. 1924)
- Dec 27 Augusto (de Oliveira) Machado, Portuguese composer (Lauriane; Camões es os Luziadas), born in Lisbon, Portugal (d. 1924)
- Dec 28 Homer Newton Bartlett, composer