Events in Music
- Dec 2 Camille Saint-Saëns' opera "Samson et Dalila" premieres in Weimar
- Dec 16 Anton Bruckner's 3rd Symphony in D, premieres
- Dec 30 Johannes Brahms' 2nd Symphony in D, premieres in Vienna
Birthdays in Music
- Dec 8 Paul Ladmirault, French composer, born in Nantes, France (d. 1944)
- Dec 13 Mykola Leontovych, Ukrainian composer, born in Selevyntsi, Podolia, Russian Empire (d. 1921)
- Dec 14 Lieven Duvosel, Flemish music composer (Leiecyclys), born in Ghent, Belgium (d. 1956)
- Dec 18 Max Pallenberg, Austrian extempore farce actor (Morn to Midnight), husband of Operetta star Fritzi Massary, born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1934)
