1490 Birth of Flemish composer Adrian WILLAERT in Bruges, Belgium. d-Venice, 7 DEC 1562. Studied music at The University of Paris with Jean Mouton. Search Amazon.com for Adrian WILLAERT 
1578 Birth of Italian composer Agostino AGAZARRI. d-1640.
1666 FP of Moliere and Lully's Ballet of the Muses at the palace of St. Germain-en-Laye. Search Amazon.com for Lully's Ballet of the Muses
1717 J. S. Bach takes up Prince Leopold's offer to become Kapellmeister at Cothen.
1729 (JC, GC=13 DEC) FP of G. F. Handel's opera Lotario at the King's Theater in the Haymarket in London. Search Amazon.com for Handel's opera Lotario
1730 Birth of English composer Capel BOND in Coventry. d-Binley, 14 FEB 1790. Search Amazon.com for Capel BOND
1760 Birth of German composer Joseph GRAETZ in Vohburg. d-Munich, 17 JUL 1826.
1763 Death of composer Carl August Thielo, at 56. b-7 FEB 1707.
1774 Death of German composer and organist Johann Friedrich Agricola, at 54. Introduction to the Art of Singing by Johann Friedrich Agricola (Cambridge Musical Texts and Monographs)
1813 Birth of German composer Jacob ROSENHAIM. d-24 MAR 1894.
1831 Death of composer Traugott Maximilian Eberwein, at 56. Search Amazon.com for Traugott Maximilian Eberwein
1836 London's Musical World first suggests program notes for concert goers.
1840 FP of Donizetti's La Favorita at the Paris Opera. Search Amazon.com for Donizetti's La Favorita
1843 FP of Schumann's Paradise and the Peri. He conducted the voices and orchestra in Leipzig. Search Amazon.com for Schumann's Paradise and the Peri.
1845 Death of Bavarian choral conductor and composer Johannes Simon Mayr, at 82 in Bergamo. b-Mendorf, 14 JUN 1763. Search Amazon.com for Johannes Simon Mayr
1854 Birth of Dutch composer Hendrika Van TUSSENBROEK in Utrecht. d-21 JUN 1935.
1856 Birth in Helsinki of Finnish conductor and composer Robert KAJANUS. Noted for early Sibelius recordings. Search Amazon.com for Robert KAJANUS
1858 Birth of French bass Rene Fournets in Pau. Died Dec 1926, Debut as Frere Laurent in Romeo et Juliette (Gounod) 1884 Teachers:- Boulanger, Louise-Henri Obin Created Alphonse D'Este in Tasse (D'Harcourt) Sang in premiere of Briseis (Chabrier)
1863 Birth of composer Gustav WOHLGEMUTH. Sweet Music of Christmas
1866 Birth of choral director and organist Henry Thacker BURLEIGH in Stamford, CT. Introduced Dvorak to negro spirituals. d-Doorn ,12 SEP 1949. Deep River ... From " Jubilee Songs " of the United States of America. < Dig my Grave. From the collection of Henry E. Krehbiel. > Negro spiritual. Arranged ... [Staff and tonic sol-fa notation.]
1870 Birth of French composer, violinist and conductor Francis Louis CASADESUS.
1873 Birth of French soprano Julie Guiraudon. Created Cendrillon in Cendrillon (Massenet) Irene in Sapho (Massenet) Jonia in Roma (Massenet) Sang in premiere of Juif Polonais (Erlanger) Basoche ( Messager) Yato (Labori).
1873 Birth of American mezzo-soprano Adrienne Von Kraus-Osborne in Buffalo N Y. Died 15 June 1951, Debut 1893 Teachers:- Auguste Gotze, Felix Von Kraus (husband).
1876 Birth of Austrian mezzo-soprano Hermine Kittel in Vienna. d- 4 Apr 1948, Debut 1897 Teacher :- Amalie Materna. Search Amazon.com for Hermine Kittel
1877 FP of Saint-Saens Samson and Delilah. Conducted by Liszt at Weimar. CD-Saint-Saëns - Samson et Dalila / Gorr · Vickers · Blanc · Corazza · Prêtre
1879? [B Fodor notes: 1970 Groves indicated birth as 7 December 1879] Birth of Bohemian-American operetta composer Rudolf FRIML (Frimel) in Prague. d-Los Angeles, 12 NOV 1972. Search Amazon.com for Rudolf FRIML[NOTE two separate sources have Rudolph Friml as born on 7 Dec. The year, though, seems to be in dispute: Wikipedia lists 1879 while IMDb lists 1884.
Here are the links:
IMDB and
Wikipedia
Looking at some other links, it appears consensus puts the year as 1879.]
1880 Death of composer Josephine Lang, at 65 in Tübingen. b-Munich, 14 MAR 1815. Search Amazon.com for Josephine Lang
1883 FP of Brahms' Third symphony, Hans Richter conducting in Vienna. CD-Johannes Brahms: The Symphonies
1886 FP of Brahms' Violin Sonata No. 2 in A, Op. 100, in Vienna. CD-Brahms:The Violin and Viola Sonatas
1888 Birth of French bass Louis Morturier in St Pierre-le-Moutier. Debut 1919 Teachers:- Guillamat, Sizes. Search Amazon.com for Louis Morturier
1888 Death of composer Franz Xaver Witt, at 54. Search Amazon.com for Franz Xaver Witt
1889 Birth of American tenor and instructor Paul L. ALTHOUSE. Search Amazon.com for Paul L. ALTHOUSE
1892 Birth of composer Leo ORNSTEIN. d-24 FEB 2002. Search Amazon.com for Leo ORNSTEIN
1895 Birth of English pianist Harriet COHEN. d-1967. Search Amazon.com for Harriet COHEN
1899 Birth of English conductor Sir John BARBIROLLI in London. d-London, 29 JUL 1970.
1901 Birth of Flemish organist and composer Staff NEESIST.
1901 FP of Serge Rachmaninoff's Cello Sonata, Op. 19. Anatoly Brandukov, with the composer at the piano in Moscow. CD-Sonatas for Cello by Schubert and Rachmaninoff
1902 Birth of composer Miroslav PONC. Miroslav Ponc: Neznama kapitola z dejin mezivalecne umelecke avantgardy (Czech Edition)
1904 Death of composer Victor Roger, at 50.
1905 Birth of composer Osvaldo PUGLIESE. Search Amazon.com for Osvaldo PUGLIESE
1915 Birth of Dutch composer Nico RICHTER. d-1945 from affects in concentration camp.
1915 Death of composer Jan Malat, at 72. b-1843.
1916 Death of composer Francesco Paolo Tosti, at 69, in Rome. Search Amazon.com for Francesco Paolo Tosti
1919 Birth of German bass-baritone William Wildermann in Stuttgart. Debut as King in Aida (Verdi) 1946 Teacher :- Carl Yost Created Cardinal in Duchess of Malfi (Burton S D) Sam in Harvest (Giannini). Search Amazon.com for William Wildermann
1920 Birth of composer Robert MOEVS. Search Amazon.com for Robert MOEVS
1923 (Or Dec 3rd) Birth in NYC of Greek-American soprano Maria CALLAS aka Maria Sofia Cecilia Kalogeropoulos. d-Paris, 16 SEP 1977. Search Amazon.com for Maria CALLAS
1923 Death of Spanish composer Tomas Breton y Hernandez, at 72. Picture. b-Salamanca, 1850. Search Amazon.com for Tomas Breton y Hernandez
1924 Death of Finish soprano Emmy Achte. Born 14 Nov 1850 in Olou Finland, Debut 1875 Teachers:- Mechelin, Masset, Fredrika Andrea Stenhammer, Anna Hildach Francisco Lamperti Pupil :- Aino Ackte (daughter).
1924 FP in USAmerica of Romberg's The Student Prince in NYC. CD-The Student Prince (1989 London Studio Cast)
1925 Birth of Russian Mezzo-Soprano Irina ARKHIPOVA. Search Amazon.com for Irina ARKHIPOVA
1925 Death of Spanish composer Julio Garreta, at 50 in San Feliu. b-San Feliu de Quixols, 1875.
1928 Birth of Austrian pianist Jorge DEMUS.
1928 FP of Franz Schmidt's Symphony No. 3, in Vienna.
1928 FP of Arnold Schoenberg's Variations for Orchestra in Berlin. Search Amazon.com for Schoenberg's Variations for Orchestra
1929 Birth of American tuba virtuoso Harvey PHILLIPS in Aurora MO. Tubist with NYC Ballet Orch.
1930 Birth of Austrian soprano Ivana Mixova in Vienna. Debut as Bertha in Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini) 1950 Teachers:- Marie Fialova, Konstantin Karenin, Bohumil Sobersky Created Volumnia in Corolanus (Cikker) Hera in Torch of Prometheus (Hanus). Act III: "Christ was on the mountain"
1931 Death of French composer Vincent D'Indy at 80 in Paris. b-Paris, 27 MAR 1851. John Kitchiner Baritone Born 2 Dec 1933 Bedford Teachers:- Joan Cross, Ellis Keeler, Otakar Krauss Created Salinas in Royal Hunt of the Sun (Hamilton) French Officer 2, Mirbank, Saint Remy, Spanish General 2 in Toussaint(Blake) Denys Feather in One Man Show (Maw). Search Amazon.com for Vincent D'Indy
1932 Birth of American composer Stanley WALDEN.
1933 Death of German composer Josef Gruber, at 78. b-1863.
1935 Birth of composer Jurg WYTTENBACH. Ensemble-Buch I (1990) Cycle for baritone and instruments with poems by Erika Burkart: Sonata I
1936 Birth of composer Peter Michael BRAUN.
1937 Birth of American composer Katherine HOOVER. Search Amazon.com for Katherine HOOVER
1941 Death of American soprano Ester Osborne Soprano in Minneapolis. Died 2 Dec 1941 Debut as Marguerite in Faust (Gounod) 1905 Teacher :- C A Soderman.
1942 Death of German tenor Wilhelm Gruning. Born 2 Nov 1858 in Berlin. Debut 1881 Teachers:- Jenny Meyer, Julius Stern Pupil :- Carl Clewing Created Henning Moller in Roland von Berlin (Leoncavallo) Sang in premiere of Pfeifertag (Schillings). Nothung, Nothung, neidliches Schwert (Siegfried)
1943 Birth of American baritone Thomas Palmer in Harrisburg PA. Debut as Valentin in Faust (Gounod) 1966.
1943 FP, on Broadway, of Oscar Hammerstein II's reworking of Bizet's "Carmen", Carmen Jones with an all black cast. CD-Carmen Jones (Studio Cast Recording) (Highlights)
1946 FP of D. Milhaud's Symphony No. 2, by the Boston Symphony with the composer conducting. Search Amazon.com for Milhaud's Symphony No. 2.
1949 FP of Bela Bartók's Viola Concerto, completed by Tibor Serly, posthumously, by violist William Primrose and the Minneapolis Symphony, Antal Dorati conducting. CD-Bartok: Viola Concertos
1949 FP of Olivier Messiaen's Turangalila Symphony, by Boston Symphony conducted by Leonard Bernstein. Three movements of the ten movement symphony were FP on 15 FEB 1948 in Paris. CD-Olivier Messiaen: Turangalîla Symphony
1950 Birth of American ballerina Merrill ASHLEY in St. Paul MN. NYC Ballet. Search Amazon.com for Merrill ASHLEY.
1950 Death of Rumanian pianist and composer Constantin Dinu Lipatti near Geneva, at 33, of Lymphonic disease. Search Amazon.com for Dinu Lipatti
1951 Death of Swedish tenor David Stockman. Born 30 Nov 1879 in Goteborg. Died 2 Dec 1951 Debut as Wilhelm Meister in Mignon (Thomas) 1905 Teacher :- H Hoffmann. Si J'Etais Roi: J'ignorais Son Nom, Sa Naissance
1953 Birth of Korean pianist Myung-Whun CHUNG in Seoul Korea. Search Amazon.com for Myung-Whun CHUNG[NOTE: 2 Dec’s list includes Myung-Whun Chung as born in 1953. While the year appears correct, two sources list his date of birth as 22 Jan.
Bio and
Wikipewdia] (Thanks to Bill Fodor)
1955 Birth of American composer Kenneth FRAZELLE in NC. Return: Art Songs from Carolina
1955 FP of Ernst Toch's Symphony No. 3. Pittsburgh Symphony, William Steinberg conducting. Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1956. CD-Ernst Toch: Symphonies 2 & 3
1955 FP of Goffredo Petrassi's Concerto No. 5 for orchestra in Boston, MA. CD-Petrassi: Concerto for orchestra No3; Concerto for orchestra No5
1959 Death of Italian composer Antonio Savasta in Napoli. b-Catania, 22 AUG 1873.
1970 FP of Michael Tippett's Opera Knot Garden, in London. Search Amazon.com for TIPPETT Knot Garden
1974 Death of Russian-Canadian composer Sofie-Carmen Eckhardt-Gramatte, at age 72 in Stuttgart. b-Moscow, 6 JAN 1899.
1979 Death of composer Vasily Pavlovich Solov'yov-Sedoy, at 72. Search Amazon.com for Solov'yov-Sedoy
1981 Death of American composer and arranger Hershy Kay, at 62. b-Philadelphia 17 NOV 1919. Arranger for Broadway and screen productions and often worked with Leonard Bernstein. He composed and arranged ballets including Balanchine's Western Symphony. Search Amazon.com for Hershy Kay
1988 FP of John Harbison's Fantasy Duo for violin and piano. Violinist David Abel and pianist Julie Steinberg at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. CD-John Harbison: The Boston Collection
1990 Death of American composer Aaron Copland at 90 in North Tarrytown, NY. b-Brooklyn, NY 14 NOV 1900. Publishers Biography. Search Amazon.com for Aaron Copland
1998 FP of Ellen Taffe Zwilich's String Quartet No. 2. Emerson Quartet at Carnegie Hall in NYC.
1999 FP of James MacMillan's Symphony No. 2. Scottish Chamber Symphony, with the composer conducting at Ayr Town Hall in Scotland. CD-MacMillan: Sinfonietta; Symphony No2
2010 Death of American soprano Helen Boatwright. Born: November 17, 1916 - Sheboygan, Wisconsin, USA, died in upstate New York at 94. Boatwright (née Strassburger), grew up in Sheboygan, Wisconsin during the Depression. She began her training with Anna Shram Irving. Later she studied voice with Professor Marion Sims (1892-1980) at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music (Ohio), receiving the bachelor degree in music in 1939 and the master's degree in music in 1943. Bio | Search Amazon.com for Helen Boatwright
