1770 Ludwig van Beethoven – German composer and pianist (d.1827); crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music; his reputation and genius have inspired—and in many cases intimidated—ensuing generations of composers, musicians, and audiences; of irritable temperament, the composer frequently quarreled with family members, colleagues, and patrons and he suffered serious physical infirmities and chronic pain, most significantly the progressive loss of hearing, leading to total deafness during the period of writing some of his most sublime works.
1775 François Boieldieu – French opera composer (d.1834); his masterpiece is La dame blanche (The White Lady, 1825).
1847 Augusta Holmès – French composer of Irish descent (d.1903); she wrote the lyrics to almost all her songs and oratorios, as well as the libretto of the opera La Montagne Noire (1885).
1869 Alfred Hill – Australian/New Zealand composer, conductor and teacher (d.1960).
1882 Zoltán Kodály – Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, pedagogue, linguist, and philosopher (d.1967); best known internationally as the creator of the Kodály Method of music education, and as the composer of Háry János; friend and mentor of fellow Hungarian Béla Bartók.
1893 first official performance of Antonín Dvorák's Symphony No. 9 ‘From the New World’ at Carnegie Hall in New York with the New York Philharmonic, Anton Seidl conducting; at the time, the composer was Director of the National Conservatory of Music in the United States; a public dress rehearsal had taken place the previous afternoon.
1923 Menahem Pressler – German-born Israeli-American pianist (died May 6, 2023); first appeared as the pianist of the Beaux Arts Trio in 1955, and became the only original member of the trio to perform with the group through its entire existence, including several changes of membership, up to the dissolution of the trio in 2008.
1932 Rodion Shchedrin – Russian composer and pianist (91 years old); best known for his ballet, Carmen Suite (1967); following the collapse of the Soviet regime, he has taken advantage of the new opportunities for international travel and musical collaboration, largely dividing his time between Munich and Moscow.
1946 Trevor Pinnock – English conductor and harpsichordist (77 years old); best known for his association with the period-performance orchestra The English Concert which he helped found and directed from the keyboard for over 30 years; since his resignation from The English Concert in 2003, he has continued his career as a conductor, appearing with major orchestras and opera companies around the world.
1952 Manuel Barrueco – Cuban guitarist (71 years old); immigrated with his parents to the United States in 1967; was featured in a Lexus TV commercial.