- Jan 8 Josue Teofilo Wilkes, Argentine composer, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina (d. 1968)
- Jan 19 Hermann Abendroth, German conductor (Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, 1934-45), born in Frankfurt, Germany (d. 1956)
- Feb 2 Mikhail Gnesin, Russian composer (Vrubel; The Youth Of Abraham), born in Rostov-on-Don, Russia (d. 1957)
- Feb 11 Paul August von Klenau, Danish composer (Sulamith), and conductor, born in Copenhagen, Denmark (d. 1946)
- Feb 13 Bainbridge Crist, American composer (Egyptian Impressions), born in Lawrenceburg, Indiana (d. 1969)
- Feb 22 Jaroslav Kocián, Czech composer and teacher, born in Ústí nad Orlicí (d. 1950)
- Mar 7 Carl Deis, American composer and organist, born in New York City (d. 1960)
- Mar 8 Manuel Gómez Carrillo, Argentine composer, born in Santiago del Estero, Argentina (d. 1968)
- Mar 12 Judge Jackson, American sacred harp composer, songwriter, and educator (The Colored Sacred Harp), born in Montgomery County, Alabama (d. 1958)
- Mar 13 Enrico Toselli, Italian pianist and composer, born in Florence, Italy (d. 1926)
- Mar 14 Juan Manén, Spanish composer and violinist, born in Barcelona (d. 1971)
- Mar 19 Josef Matthias Hauer, Austrian composer and music theorist, born in Wiener Neustadt, Austria (d. 1959)
- Mar 20 Karl Hasse, German composer, born in Dohna (d. 1960)
- Mar 21 Jules van Nuffel, Belgian composer, priest, and musicologist (Nova Organi Harmonia), born in Hemiksem, Belgium (d. 1953)
- Mar 27 Jan Kunc, Czech composer (Czech State Anthem), born in Doubravice nad Svitavou (d. 1976)
- Mar 28 William Henry Harris, English composer, born in Fulham, London (d. 1973)
- Apr 1 Alexander Vasilyevich Alexandrov, Russian Soviet composer, born in Plakhino, Ryazan Governorate (d. 1946) [OS date]
- Apr 9 Renzo Bossi, Italian composer, and educator (Milan Conservatory), born in Como, Italy (d. 1965)
- Apr 17 Herman Darewsky, British composer, born in Minsk, Russian Empire (d. 1947)
- Apr 30 David John de Lloyd, Welsh musician and composer, born in Skewen, Wales (d. 1948)
- May 5 Léopold Samuel, Belgian composer, born in Brussels, Belgium (d. 1975)
- May 5 Petar Konjović, Serbian composer, born in Čurug, Serbia (d. 1970)
- May 7 Gino Roncaglia, Italian composer, born in Modena, Italy (d. 1968)
- May 15 Stanley Marchant, English composer, born in London (d. 1949)
- May 26 Mamie Smith, American vaudeville singer, dancer and actress (Crazy Blues), born in Cincinnati, Ohio (d. 1946)
- May 28 George Dyson, British organist and composer (The Canterbury Pilgrims), born in Halifax, Yorkshire, England (d. 1964)
- May 28 Luigi Perrachio, Italian pianist, composer (Nove Poemetti; 25 Preludi), and pedagogue (Liceo Musicale Torino), born in Turin, Italy (d. 1966)
- May 29 William Beatton Moonie, Scottish composer (The Weird of Colbar; Echoes of Perthshire), born in Stobo, Pebbleshire (d. 1961)
- May 30 Riccardo Zandonai, Italian composer, born in Borgo Sacco, Rovereto, Austria-Hungary (d. 1944)
- Jun 17 Alexandre Eugène Cellier, French organist and composer, born in Molières-sur-Cèze, France (d. 1968)
- Jun 20 Giannotto Bastianelli, Italian musician and composer, born in Fiesole, Italy (d. 1927)
- Jun 22 José Rolón, Mexican composer, born in Ciudad Guzmán, Jalisco (d. 1945)
- Jul 4 Maximilian Steinberg, Russian composer, born in Vilnius, Russian Empire (d. 1946)
- Jul 7 Toivo Kuula, Finnish composer, born in Vehkakoski (d. 1918)
- Jul 14 Alexandru Zirra, Romanian composer (On the Plain of Moldova), and pedagogue (Treaty of Harmony), born in Roman, Romania (d. 1946)
- Jul 25 Alfredo Casella, Italian pianist, conductor (Boston Pops, 1927-29), and composer (La Giara; Concerto Romana), born in Turin, Italy (d. 1947)
- Jul 29 Manuel Infante, Spanish composer and conductor born in Osuna, Seville, Spain (d. 1958)
- Aug 6 Francesco Santoliquido, Italian composer, born in San Giorgio a Cremano, Naples, Italy (d. 1971)
- Aug 10 Carlos Lavín, Chilean composer (Lamentaciones Huiliches), and ethno-musicologist, born in Santiago, Chile (d. 1962)
- Sep 5 Otto Erich Deutsch, Austrian musicologist (Schubert-Brevier), born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1967)
- Sep 17 Gerald Hugh Tyrwhitt-Wilson, 14th Baron Bernes, British composer and novelist, born in Apley Hall, Shropshire (d. 1950)
- Sep 18 Lord Berners [Gerald Tyrwhitt], English composer (1st Childhood), born in Apley Hall, Shropshire (d. 1950)
- Sep 22 Robert Franz Richard Hernried, Austrian composer, born in Vienna (d. 1951)
- Oct 5 Charles Maduro, Antillean composer, born in Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles (d. 1947)
- Oct 8 Dick Burnett, American musician ("Man of Constant Sorrow"), born in Monticello, Kentucky (d. 1977)
- Oct 11 Archibald T Davison, American musicologist and composer, born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 1961)
- Oct 22 Viktor Jacobi, Hungarian operetta composer (Szibill), born in Budapest, Hungary (d. 1921)
- Nov 2 Frico Kafenda, Slovak composer, born in Mošovce, Slovakia (d. 1963)
- Nov 6 Hubert Bath, British film composer and music director, born in Barnstaple, Devon (d. 1945)
- Nov 8 Arnold Bax, British composer known for his orchestral music (Tintagel), and memoirist (Farewell My Youth), born in Streatham, London (d. 1953)
- Nov 10 Bedrich Antonin Wiedermann, Czech organist and composer, born in Ivanovice na Hané, Czech Republic (d. 1951)
- Nov 11 Ernest Ansermet, Swiss conductor (Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, 1918-67). and composer (Feuilles de Printemps), born in Vevey, Switzerland (d. 1969)
- Nov 16 Eugeen Van de Velde, Flemish musicologist and composer (In Tempore Belli) (d. 1958)
- Nov 28 Paul Hastings Allen, American composer, born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 1952)
- Dec 1 Romanos Melik'yan, Armenian composer, born in Kizlyar, (d. 1935)
- Dec 3 Anton (Friedrich Wilhelm) von Webern, Austrian 12-tone composer, born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1945)
- Dec 14 Manolis Kalomiris, Greek opera composer, born in Smyrna, Greece (d. 1962)
- Dec 19 Louis Davids [Simon David], Dutch cabaret performer, singer and comedian, born in Rotterdam, Netherlands (d. 1939)
- Dec 22 Edgard Varèse, French-American composer (Ionisation; Poème électronique), born in Burgundy, France (d. 1965)
- Dec 25 Fran Lhotka, Czech composer, born in Mladá Vožice (d. 1962)