1587 Francesca Caccini – Italian composer, singer, lutenist, poet, and music teacher (d.1637); known by the nickname ‘La Cecchina’; one of the best-known and most influential female European composers between Hildegard of Bingen and those of the 19th century; her father was Giulio Caccini, one of the founders of opera.
1883 Lord Berners (full name, Gerald Hugh Tyrwhitt-Wilson, 14th Baron Berners) – eccentric English composer, novelist, painter and chef (d.1950); his gravestone reads: ‘Here lies Lord Berners, One of life's learners, His great love of learning, May earn him a burning, But praise the Lord, He seldom was bored.’
1893 Arthur Benjamin – Australian composer, pianist, conductor and teacher (d.1960); best known for his Jamaican Rumba, composed in 1938.
1910 Josef Tal – Polish-born Israeli composer (d.2008); one of the founding fathers of Israeli art music.
1943 Imant Raminsh – Latvian-born Canadian composer (81 years old); best known for his choral compositions.
1971 Anna Netrebko – Russian soprano (53 years old); holds dual Russian and Austrian citizenship; nicknamed ‘La Bellissima’ by fans; has the distinction of being invited to appear in three consecutive opening night new productions at the Metropolitan Opera: Anna Bolena in 2011, L'elisir d'amore in 2012, and Eugene Onegin in 2013.
1972 Simone Dinnerstein – American pianist (52 years old); became celebrated, both critically and commercially, for her self-financed recording of Bach's Goldberg Variations, released in 2007; takes classical music to public schools with a program she calls ‘Bachpacking’.
1979 Simon Trpceski – Macedonian pianist (45 years old); committed to strengthening Macedonia’s cultural standing.