Classical Music History

Classical: Composers - National Anthems - Orchestras

Events in Music

  • 1888-06-29 First (known) recording of classical music made, Handel's Israel in Egypt on wax cylinder

Music concertMusic Concert

1990-07-07 First Three Tenors concert featuring Plácido Domingo, José Carreras and Luciano Pavarotti at Baths of Caracalla in Rome - recording of is world's best-selling classical record

Operatic Tenor Luciano Pavarotti
Operatic Tenor
Luciano Pavarotti

Birthdays in Music

  • 1775-08-31 Francois de Paule Jacques Raymond de Fossa, French classical guitarist and composer, born in Perpignan, France (d. 1849)
  • 1885-06-29 André Gailhard, French classical music composer, born in Paris (d. 1966)
  • 1893-02-21 Andres Segovia, Linares Spain, classical guitarist, (d. 1987)

Person of interestHoward Hanson

1896-10-28 Howard Hanson, American classical music composer and conductor (Nordic), born in Wahoo, Nebraska (d. 1981)

Composer and Conductor Howard Hanson
Composer and Conductor
Howard Hanson
  • 1903-01-06 Maurice Abravanel, American classical music conductor, born in Thessaloniki, Greece (d. 1993)
  • 1911-10-07 Shura Cherkassky, Ukrainian classical pianist (d. 1995)
  • 1919-04-02 Ian Hunter, British impresario of classical music, born in Hadley Wood, Middlesex (d. 2003)
  • 1921-07-07 Stanislaw Wislocki, Polish conductor of classical music, born in Rzeszów, Poland (d. 1998)
  • 1922-04-14 Ali Akbar Khan, Indian classical musician, born in Comilla, East Bangladesh (d. 2009)
  • 1922-05-29 Iannis Xenakis, Romanian-born, Greek-French composer, music theorist, and architect who helped revolutionize 20th century classical music (Metastaseis), born in Brăila, Romania (d. 2001)
  • 1923-05-28 Gyorgy Ligeti, Hungarian classical composer (Le Grand Macabre), born in Transylvania, Romania (d. 2006)
  • 1929-06-21 Alexandre Lagoya, Greek-Italian classical guitarist (d. 1999)
  • 1931-10-14 Nikhil Banerjee, Indian classical musician, born in Calcutta, India (d. 1986)
  • 1942-01-05 Maurizio Pollini, Italian classical pianist, born in Milan, Italy
  • 1944-04-17 John Lill, British classical pianist, born in London
  • 1949-06-08 Emanuel Ax, Polish American classical pianist, born in Lviv, Ukraine
  • 1950-01-02 David Shifrin, American classical clarinetist
  • 1950-03-05 Eugene Fodor, American classical violinist (1974 Tchaikovsky Award), born in Denver, Colorado (d. 2011)
  • 1952-06-05 Daniel Katzen, American classical musician
  • 1953-07-26 Robert Phillips, American classical guitarist, born in NYC, New York
  • 1954-05-28 Youri Egorov, Soviet classical pianist (d. 1988)
  • 1958-07-26 Angela Hewitt, Canadian classical pianist, born in Ottawa, Canada
  • 1960-12-21 Louis Demetrius Alvanis, English classical pianist, born in London, United Kingdom
  • 1977-10-20 Leila Josefowicz, Canadian classical violinist
  • 1980-11-08 Ana Vidovic, Croatian classical guitarist, born in Karlovac, Croatia
  • 1980-12-10 Sarah Chang, Korean-American classical violinist child prodigy, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • 1982-10-07 Li Yundi, Chinese classical pianist
  • 1985-06-30 Rafal Blechacz, Polish classical pianist
  • 1987-07-20 Nicola Benedetti, Scottish classical violinist, born in West Kilbride, North Ayrshire

Deaths in Music

  • 1849-06-03 Francois de Paule Jacques Raymond de Fossa, French classical guitarist and composer, dies at 73
  • 1966-07-03 André Gailhard, French classical music composer, dies at 81

Person of interestHoward Hanson

1981-02-26 Howard Hanson, American classical music composer and conductor (Nordic), dies at 84

Composer and Conductor Howard Hanson
Composer and Conductor
Howard Hanson
  • 1988-04-15 Youri Egorov, Soviet classical pianist (b. 1954)
  • 1989-05-22 Steven DeGroote, South African classical pianist (b. 1953)
  • 1990-10-16 Jorge Bolet, Cuban-American classical pianist (b. 1914)
  • 1995-12-27 Shura Cherkassky, American classical pianist, dies at 86
  • 1997-05-03 Narciso Yepes, Spanish classical guitarist (b. 1927)
  • 1998-05-31 Stanislaw Wislocki, Polish conductor of classical music, dies at 76
  • 1999-08-24 Alexandre Lagoya, Greek-Italian classical guitarist (b. 1929)
  • 2001-02-04 Iannis Xenakis, Romanian-born, Greek-French composer, music theorist, and architect who helped revolutionize 20th century classical music (Metastaseis), dies after several years of serious illness at 78
  • 2009-06-19 Ali Akbar Khan, Indian classical musician, dies at 87
  • 2011-02-26 Eugene Fodor, American classical violinist (1974 Tchaikovsky Award), dies from cirrhosis at 60
  • 2011-11-27 Sultan Khan, Indian classical musician, dies at 71
  • 2011-11-28 Andrew Kazdin, classical record producer, dies at 77
  • 2011-12-31 Omus Hirshbein, classical music impresario and music director, dies at 77