- Jan 9 Edwin Arthur Jones, American composer (Song of our Saviour), dies at 57
- Jan 15 Wilhelm Berger, German composer, pianist and conductor, dies at 49
- Jan 24 Carl Eilhardt, German composer and conductor, dies at 67
- Feb 20 Alexander Kopilov, Imperial Russian violinist and composer, dies at 56
- Feb 20 Peter Nicolai von Wilm, German-Baltic pianist and composer, dies at 76
- Mar 20 Jean-Theodore Radoux, Belgian composer, dies at 75
- Mar 29 Alexandre Guilmant, French organist (La Trinitié, 1871-901), composer and pedagogue (Schola Cantorum, 1894-1911), dies at 74
- Apr 10 Mikalojus Konstantinas Ciurlionis, composer, dies at 35
- May 18 Gustav Mahler, Austrian composer (Symphony No. 2 - "Resurrection"), and conductor (New York Philharmonic, 1909-11), dies of heart disease at 50
William Schwenck Gilbert
May 29 (William Schwenck) W.S. Gilbert, English dramatist, poet librettist major-generally remembered for his comic operas with Arthur Sullivan (The Pirates of Penzance; H.M.S.Pinafore; The Mikdao), dies of a heart attack at 74
- Jun 14 Johan Svendsen, Norwegian composer, dies at 70
- Jun 18 Franjo Ksaver Kuhač, Croatian composer who collected and published 1,600 folk songs, dies at 76
- Jul 2 Felix Mottl, Austrian conductor and composer (Agnes Bernauer), dies at 54
- Jul 25 Filippo Capocci, Italian organist, and composer, dies at 71
- Aug 10 Carl Lumbye, Danish composer, dies at 70
- Aug 16 Karl Munzinger, composer, dies at 68
- Oct 5 Charles Malherbe, French violinist and composer, dies at 58
- Nov 3 Salvador Giner y Vidal, Spanish composer, dies at 79
- Nov 9 Edmund Schücker, Austrian composer, dies at 50
- Dec 11 Thomas Ball, American sculptor, painter and musician, dies at 92
- Dec 18 Alberto Randegger, Italian composer, dies at 79
- Dec 23 Karl Hoschna, Bohemian born Tin Pan Alley-era composer (Every Little Movement), dies at 34