1751 Dmitry Bortnyansky – Ukrainian-born Russian composer and conductor (d.1825); best known today for his liturgical works and his prolific contributions to the genre of ‘choral concertos’.
1893 first performance of Peter Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 'Pathétique' at the Hall of Nobles in St. Petersburg, with the composer conducting, nine days before his death.
1896 Howard Hanson – American composer, conductor and educator (d.1981); a great champion of American classical music.
1909 Josef Gingold – Russian-Jewish born American violinist and teacher (d.1995); Concertmaster of The Cleveland Orchestra 1947-1960; his pupils included Joshua Bell, Andrés Cárdenes, Corey Cerovsek, Miriam Fried, Ulf Hoelscher, Leonidas Kavakos, Jaime Laredo and Joseph Silverstein.
1915 first performance of Richard Strauss's tone poem An Alpine Symphony in Berlin, with the composer conducting; depicts the experiences of eleven hours (from twilight just before dawn to the following nightfall) spent climbing a mountain in the Alps.
1931 first performance of William Grant Still's Symphony No. 1 'Afro-American' by the Rochester Philharmonic, Howard Hanson conducting; the first symphony written by an African American man and performed for an American audience by a leading orchestra.
1936 Carl Davis – American-born conductor, composer (died August 3, 2023); best known for creating music to accompany silent films; also collaborated with Paul McCartney in the creation of the Liverpool Oratorio.
1938 Howard Blake – English composer (86 years old); best known for his music for English Channel 4’s 1982 film The Snowman including the song Walking In The Air.
1943 Kenneth Montgomery – Irish conductor (died March 5 2023); the first Belfast-born musician named as the Ulster Orchestra's Principal Conductor.
1956 first performance of William Schuman's New England Triptych (subtitled Three Pieces for Orchestra after William Billings) in Miami by the University of Miami Orchestra under the direction of André Kostelanetz, who had commissioned it.
1974 Naida Cole – Canadian-American pianist (50 years old); left a successful career as a recording artist and touring musician in 2007 to pursue medicine at Brown University; when not practicing medicine, she continues to make appearances as a soloist and chamber musician in Canada and the United States.