Overview of the events of 1861 in music
Published popular music
[edit] - "Abide With Me", w. Rev Henry Francis Lyte m. William Henry Monk (Words 1847)
- "Alice, Where Art Thou?", w. Wellington Guernsey m. Joseph Ascher
- "Aura Lea", w. W. W. Fosdick m. George R. Poulton
- "The Bonnie Blue Flag", w. Mrs Annie Chambers Ketchum m. Harry Macarthy
- "Eternal Father, Strong to Save", w. William Whiting m. Rev. John Bacchus Dykes
- "Go Down, Moses", trad spiritual
- "Holy! Holy! Holy! Lord God Almighty", w. Reginald Heber m. John Bacchus Dykes
- "I'm Going Home to Dixie", w. Dan Emmett arr. C. S. Grafully
- "John Brown's Body", w. anon m. William Steffe
- "Maryland, My Maryland", w. James Ryder Randall m. Walter de Mapers (Music "Mini est Propositum" 12th century)
- "The Privateer", w.m. anon ("Quien Sabé")
- "The Vacant Chair", w. Henry S. Washburn m. George Frederick Root
- Peter Benoit
- Fantaisie No.4, Op.20
- Piano Sonata, Op.34, premiered March 21 by Angèle Tailhardat
- Hoogmis, premiered July 21 in Brussels
- Hermann Berens – 50 Piano Pieces for First Beginners, Op.70
- Alexander Borodin – Piano Trio in D major
- Johannes Brahms
- Anton Bruckner
- Afferentur regi, WAB 1
- Am Grabe, WAB 2
- Ave Maria, WAB 6
- Du bist wie eine Blume, WAB 64, dated December 5
- Fugue in D minor, WAB 125, dated November 8
- Antonín Dvořák – String Quintet No. 1 in A minor, Op. 1
- Hermann Goetz – Piano Concerto in E-flat
- Edvard Grieg – 4 Songs, Op.2
- Arthur Sullivan – The Tempest, premiered April 6 in Leipzig.
- Thomas Dyke Acland Tellefsen
- Marche triomphale, Op.29
- Grande Valses, Op.30
- Piano Trio, Op.31
- Henri Vieuxtemps – Violin Concerto No. 5
- Robert Volkmann
- Ungarische Skizzen, Op.24
- String Quartet No.6, Op.43
Published Methods and Writings
[edit] - February 1 – Emilio Pizzi, composer (died 1940)
- February 21 – Pierre de Bréville, composer (d. 1949)
- April 7 – Clara Novello Davies, singer, conductor and music teacher (d. 1943)
- April 26 – Ferdinand Buescher, instrument manufacturer (d. 1937)
- April 27 – Georgy Catoire, composer (died 1926)
- May 10 – Francisco Cimadevilla González, guitarist and composer (d. 1931)
- May 12 – Ivan Caryll, composer (died 1921)
- May 19 – Nellie Melba, operatic soprano (d. 1931)
- June 11 – Sigismund Zaremba, composer (d. 1915)
- June 15 – Ernestine Schumann-Heink, operatic contralto (d. 1936)
- June 17 – Sidney Jones, composer of musical comedies (d. 1946)
- June 27 – Fanny Davies, pianist (d. 1934)
- July 16 – Franz von Blon, composer (died 1945)
- August 11 – Anton Arensky, pianist and composer (d. 1906)
- August 19 – Sadie Martinot, actress and soprano singer (d. 1923)
- September 7 – Thomas Whitney Surette, composer (died 1941)
- November 3 – Thomas O'Brien Butler, composer (died 1915)
- November 19 – Theodor Mannborg, organ maker (died 1930)
- November 29 – Spyridon Samaras, Greek opera composer, who also set to music the Olympic Anthem (d. 1917)
- November 30 – Ludwig Thuille, composer (died 1907)
- December 5 – James Thornton, English-born US songwriter and vaudeville comedian (d. 1938)
- December 18 – Lionel Monckton, composer of musical comedies (d. 1924)
- date unknown
- January 17 – Lola Montez, dancer (b. 1821)
- January 22 – Giovanni Velluti, castrato singer (b. 1780)
- February 12 – Hippolyte André Jean Baptiste Chélard, conductor and composer (b. 1789)
- February 20 – Eugène Scribe, librettist (b. 1791)
- March 14 – Louis Niedermeyer, composer (b. 1802)
- May 3 – Anthony Philip Heinrich, composer (b. 1781)
- August 9 – Vincent Novello, composer and music publisher (b. 1781)
- August 11 – Catherine Hayes, soprano (born c. 1818)
- October 24 – Elisabeth Frösslind, opera singer (b. 1793)
- December 14 – Heinrich Marschner, composer (b. 1795)
- December 16 – Karol Lipiński, violinist and composer (b. 1790)
- December 18 – Ernst Anschütz, organist, composer and poet (b. 1780)
- December 25 – Natale Abbadia, composer (b. 1792)