1814 first performance of Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 8 in Vienna with the composer conducting; when asked by his pupil Carl Czerny why the Eighth Symphony was less popular than the Seventh, Beethoven is said to have replied, "because the Eighth is so much better".
1848 Sir Charles Hubert H. Parry – English composer, teacher and music historian (d. 1918); best known for the choral song Jerusalem, the coronation anthem I was glad, and the ode Blest Pair of Sirens; wrote about music throughout his adult life: several books and 123 articles in Grove's Dictionary.
1914 first performance of George Butterworth's The Banks of Green Willow with about 40 members of the Hallé and Liverpool orchestras conducted by Adrian Boult, his first concert with a professional orchestra.
1947 Gidon Kremer – Latvian violinist and conductor (76 years old); known for his wide-ranging repertoire, extending from Antonio Vivaldi and J.S. Bach to contemporary composers.
1947 first performance of Paul Hindemith’s Concerto for Piano & Orchestra by the Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell conducting, with pianist Jesús Maria Sanromá.
1958 first performance of Peter Mennin’s Piano Concerto by the Cleveland Orchestra conducted by George Szell with pianist Eunice Podis.
1962 Marcelo Álvarez – Argentine tenor (61 years old); professional opera career started late (age 32), but he is committed to proceeding carefully, putting a high priority on maintaining the principles of bel canto – a smooth vocal line, volume modulations, and vocal expression of emotions - all while preserving the tonal quality of the voice.
1965 Frank Peter Zimmermann – German violinist (58 years old); plays a Stradivarius known as the ‘Lady Inchiquin’ from 1711, which once belonged to Fritz Kreisler.