Deaths in Music on December 26

  • 1736 Antonio Caldara, composer, dies
  • 1827 Jan David Holland, composer, dies at 81
  • 1836 Hans Georg Nägeli, Swiss composer, dies at 63
  • 1887 Jules Francois Blasini, Curacaos pianist/composer, dies at 40
  • 1916 Bernhard Scholz, composer, dies at 81
  • 1918 Bertram Luard-Selby, British organist and composer, dies at 65
  • 1937 Ivor Gurney, English composer and poet, dies of tuberculosis at 47
  • 1950 Emile Enthoven, composer, dies at 47
  • 1957 Artur Malawski, Polish composer, dies at 53
  • 1958 Harry Redman, American composer, writer, and artist, dies on 89th birthday
  • 1966 Noel Gallon, French composer, dies at 75
  • 1974 Knudage Riisager, composer, dies at 77
  • 1974 Robert Levine Sanders, American composer, dies at 68
  • 1974 Farid al-Atrash [El-Atrache], Syrian composer, musician, virtuoso oud player, and actor (Akher kedba), dies of heart disease at 59
  • 1977 Ivan Rezak, Czech composer, dies at 53
  • 1988 Pablo Sorozábal, Spanish composer, dies at 91

  • 1989 Lennox Berkeley, composer, dies at 86
  • 1992 Nikita Magaloff, Russian/Swiss pianist, dies at 80
  • 1999 Curtis Mayfield, American singer-songwriter and soul musician (Freddie's Dead, Superfly), dies from complications of type 2 diabetes at 57
  • 2000 Paul Kont, Austrian composer, dies at 80
  • 2004 Sigurd Køhn, Norwegian jazz musician, in 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake (b. 1959)
  • 2004 Aki Sirkesalo, Finnish musician, in 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake (b. 1962)
  • 2004 Mieszko Talarczyk, Lead singer/Guitarist of grindcore band, Nasum, in 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake (b. 1974)
  • 2005 Muriel Costa-Greenspon, American mezzo-soprano (b. 1937)
  • 2007 Joe Dolan, Irish singer and entertainer (b. 1943)
  • 2009 Felix Wurman, American cellist and composer, dies of Cancer at 51
  • 2010 Teena Marie, American singer and composer (b. 1956)
  • 2011 Sam Rivers, American jazz musician (exponent of free jazz), dies of pneumonia at 88
  • 2012 Fontella Bass, American R&B and soul singer and songwriter (Rescue Me), dies from a heart attack at 72
  • 2016 George S Irving [Shelasky], American broadway singer and actor (Dumplings), dies at 94
  • 2018 Sono Osato, American Japanese ballet dancer and actress, dies at 99
  • 2018 Theodore Antoniou, Greek conductor and composer (Paean, Celebration), dies at 83

December in History