- Jan 3 Sergei Rachmaninov's "Symphonic Dances" premieres in Philadelphia
Event of Interest
Feb 7 Frank Sinatra & Tommy Dorsey orchestra record "Everything Happens to Me"
Frank Sinatra
Music Recording
Feb 15 Duke Ellington first records "Take the A Train"
Duke Ellington
Event of Interest
Mar 16 Dmitri Shostakovich receives the Stalin Prize
Dmitri Shostakovich
- Mar 19 Jimmy Dorsey & orchestra record "Green Eyes" & "Maria Elena"
Event of Interest
Mar 24 Glenn Miller begins work on his 1st movie for 20th Century Fox
Glenn Miller
- Mar 29 1st performance of Benjamin Britten's "Requiem Symphony"
- Mar 29 WPAT radio in NJ begins broadcasting (country music format)
- May 7 Glenn Miller records "Chattanooga Choo Choo" for RCA
- May 13 Willy Lewis' US jazz band performs in Switzerland
- May 15 Nazi occupiers in Netherlands forbid Jewish music
- May 16 1st US radio performance of Bennett's "Symphony in D for the Dodgers"
- May 21 Singer Johan Heesters visits Dachau concentration camp
Event of Interest
Jul 19 BBC World Service begins playing V(ictory) ("...-" in Morse code) (opening of Ludwig van Beethoven's 5th symphony)
Ludwig van Beethoven
- Oct 1 H Martin/R Blane's musical "Best Foot Forward" premieres in NYC
- Oct 29 Cole Porter's musical "Let's Face It" premieres in New York City
- Nov 17 Virgil Thomson's 2nd Symphony, premieres
- Dec 21 David Diamond's 1st Symphony premieres
- Dec 27 Dmitri Shostakovich completes his 7th Symphony in Siberia