- Jan 6 Franz Xaver Scharwenka, German pianist/composer (Mataswintha)
- Jan 13 Leon Francis Victor Caron, composer
- Jan 14 Jean de Reszke, [Jan Mieczyslaw], Polish tenor
- Jan 17 Alexander Sergeyevich Taneyev, Russian composer, born in St Petersburg, Russia (d. 1918)
- Feb 17 Anton Urspruch, composer
- Feb 17 Ludwig Bonvin, composer
- Feb 18 George Henschel, composer
- Mar 5 Daniel Brink Towner, American hymn composer (d. 1919)
- Mar 9 Alexandre Luigini, French composer, born in Lyon, France (d. 1906)
- Mar 13 Emilio Serrano y Ruiz, Spanish composer, born in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain (d. 1939)
- Apr 9 Hermann Zumpe, German composer, born in Oppach, Germany (d. 1903)
- May 16 Arthur Henry Mann, organist/composer
- May 17 Antonio Scontrino, composer
- May 20 Eaton Faning, composer
- May 22 Johann Schrammel, composer
- Jun 18 Richard Heuberger, composer
- Jun 27 Jacob Adolf Hägg, Swedish composer, born in Östergarn, Sweden (d. 1928)
- Jun 29 Joseph Paul Skelly, Irish-American composer (I Should Say So!), born in Ireland (d. 1895)
- Jul 3 Alfredo Keil, Portuguese composer, born in Lisbon, Kingdom of Portugal (d. 1907)
- Jul 4 Ole Olsen, Norwegian composer and organist, born in Hammerfest, Finnmark (d. 1927)
- Aug 5 Anton Simon, Russian composer, born in Paris (d. 1916)
- Sep 9 Leopoldo Miguez, composer
- Oct 18 Francis Thome, composer
- Nov 8 Karel Komzák II, Viennese composer, born in Prague (d. 1905)
- Nov 20 Arthur Goring Thomas, English composer
- Dec 1 Peter Erasmus Lange-Muller, composer
- Dec 9 Emma Abbott, American soprano (d. 1891)
- Dec 13 Iver Holter, Norwegian composer, born in Gausdal, Norway (d. 1941)
- Dec 21 Zdenek Fibich, Czech classical composer (Šárka, The Bride of Messina), born in Všebořice (d. 1900)
- Dec 29 Tomás Bretón, Spanish conductor and composer, born in Salamanca, Spain (d. 1923)