1Spring Equinox -Spring officially returns at 11:06PM EDT
1859 premiere of Charles Gounod's opera Faust in Paris at the Théâtre-Lyrique; it wasn’t a hit until it was revived in 1862, but in the last 60 years or so, its popularity has waned.
1870 premiere of the Antônio Carlos Gomes opera Il Guarany (The Guarani) in Milan at the Teatro alla Scala; first Brazilian opera to win acclaim outside Brazil.
1873 Max Reger – German composer, conductor, pianist, organist, and teacher (d.1916); George Szell was one of his students; had an acrimonious relationship with Rudolf Louis, the music critic of the Münchener Neueste Nachrichten, who usually had negative opinions of his compositions; after Louis wrote a typical review of a new work in 1906, Reger wrote to him: "I am sitting in the smallest room of my house. I have your review before me. In a moment it will be behind me!"
1896 first performance of Antonín Dvorák's Cello Concerto Op 104 at London's Queen’s Hall by the London Philharmonic conducted by the composer, with Leo Stern as soloist; among all cello concertos, Dvorák’s has been called "supreme”, "the greatest" and the "king".
1907 Elizabeth Maconchy – English composer of Irish descent (d.1994); her 13 string quartets, which span the years 1932 to 1984, are regarded by many as the peak of her musical achievements.
1915 first performance of John Alden Carpenter's Adventures in a Perambulator by the Chicago Symphony, Frederick Stock conducting; portrays a baby's adventure as his nurse pushes him around town in his carriage.
1929 Robert Muczynski – American composer (d.2010); his Sonata for Flute & Piano Op 14 (1961) is often played in recitals.
1944 Myung-wha Chung – Korean cellist (80 years old); her younger sister is violinist Kyung-wha Chung, and her younger brother is pianist and conductor Myung-whun Chung.
1991 premiere of the John Adams opera The Death of Klinghoffer in Brussels at the Théatre Royal de la Monnaie; the work has drawn controversy, including allegations by some (including Klinghoffer's two daughters) that the opera is anti-Semitic and glorifies terrorism; in June 2014, the Met's general manager Peter Gelb announced that after discussions with the Anti-Defamation League the planned ‘Live in HD’ transmission would be cancelled amid concerns it could encourage anti-Semitism; the opera was set for Met performances in October and November 2014.