This is one of a series of postings of important classical music dates, from the 17th century to the present. Included are the date and location of the birth and death of composers, and the premiere date and location of the first public performance of works. When the premiere date and location is unknown, the date or year of completion of the work is given. Though reasonably comprehensive, this is a subjective list, so the choice of composers and works is mine. If you find any errors, or if you can offer a premiere date and location for a work where only the completion date or year is listed, please post a comment here.
1940
Dmitry Kabalevsky (1904-1987) completed The Comedians, op. 26
June 11 – Divertimento for string orchestra, Sz. 113 BB 118 by Béla Bartók (1881-1945) was first performed in Basel, Switzerland
July 1 – The Sea Hawk, with film score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897-1957), was released
November 9 – Concierto de Aranjuez, for guitar and orchestra, by Joaquín Rodrigo (1901-1999) was first performed in Barcelona, Spain
November 16 – Violin Concerto in D minor by Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978) was first performed in Moscow, Russia
December 3 – Leokadiya Kashperova (1872-1940) died in Moscow, Russia
December 9 – Sextet for Piano and Winds (1939 revision), FP 100 by Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) was first performed in Paris, France
December 26 – Symphony No. 4, “Folk Song Symphony”, by Roy Harris (1898-1979) was first performed in Cleveland, Ohio
1941
January 3 – Symphonic Dances, op. 45 by Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) was first performed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
January 10 – Frank Bridge (1879-1941) died in Eastbourne, England
February 7 – Violin Concerto, op. 14 by Samuel Barber (1910-1981) was first performed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
March 24 – King Lear, with incidental music (op. 58a) by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975), was first performed in Saint Petersburg, Russia
April 17 – Adolphus Hailstork (1941-) was born in Rochester, New York
June 21 – Masquerade Suite by Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978) was first performed in Moscow, Russia
June 26 – Warsaw Concerto by Richard Addinsell (1904-1977) premiered in the film Dangerous Moonlight
1942
Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) completed Song of the Brave, for tenor and piano, op. 89, no. 2
March 5 – Symphony No. 7, “Leningrad”, by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) was first performed in Samara, Russia (Kuybyshev at that time)
April 16 – Second Essay for Orchestra, op. 17 by Samuel Barber (1910-1981) was first performed in New York, New York
June 11 – Geoffrey Toye (1889-1942) died in London, England
June 18 – Paul McCartney (1942-) was born in Liverpool, England
December 4 – A Ceremony of Carols, op. 28 by Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) was first performed (in its final form) in London, England
December 9 – Gayane, ballet by Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978) was first performed in Perm, Russia
1943
March 12 – Fanfare for the Common Man by Aaron Copland (1900-1990) was first performed in Cincinnati, Ohio
March 28 – Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) died in Beverly Hills, California
June 24 – Symphony No. 5 in D major by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) was first performed in London, England
November 4 – Symphony No. 8 in C minor, op. 65 by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) was first performed in Moscow, Russia
1944
Percy Grainger (1882-1961) completed the orchestration of La Vallée des cloches (”Valley of the Bells”) from Miroirs by Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
January 28 – Symphony No. 1, “Jeremiah”, by Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) was first performed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
April 16 – Concierto de estío, for violin and orchestra, by Joaquín Rodrigo (1901-1999) was first performed in Lisbon, Portugal
May 7 – Our Town, music from the film score, by Aaron Copland (1900-1990) was first performed in Boston, Massachusetts
May 8 – Ethel Smyth (1858-1944) died in Woking, England
June 7 – Gran Marcha de los Subsecretarios (“Grand March of the Subsecretaries”), for piano four hands, by Joaquín Rodrigo (1901-1999) was first performed in Madrid, Spain
August – Kaljo Raid (1921-2005) completed Symphony No. 1
October 30 – Appalachian Spring, ballet by Aaron Copland (1900-1990) was first performed in Washington, D.C.
October 31 – Sebastian, ballet by Gian Carlo Menotti (1911-2007) was first performed in New York, New York
December 1 – Concerto for Orchestra, Sz. 116, BB 123 by Béla Bartók (1881-1945) was first performed in Boston, Massachusetts
December 27 – Amy Beach (1867-1944) died in New York, New York
December 30 – Piano Sonata No. 8 in B♭ major, op. 84 by Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) was first performed in Moscow, Russia
1945
Suite from Der Rosenkavalier by Richard Strauss (1864-1949) was arranged by Artur Rodziński (1892-1958)
January 13 – Symphony No. 5 in B♭ major, op. 100 by Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) was first performed in Moscow, Russia
April 9 – Girl No. 217, with film score by Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978), was released
August 2 – Emil von Reznicek (1860-1945) died in Berlin, Germany
September 15 – Anton Webern (1883-1945) died in Mittersill, Austria
September 24 – John Rutter (1945-) was born in London, England
September 26 – Béla Bartók (1881-1945) died in New York, New York
October 12 – Symphony No. 3, H. 299 by Bohuslav Martinů (1890-1959) was first performed in Boston, Massachusetts
November 3 – Symphony No. 9 in E♭ major, op. 70 by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) was first performed in Saint Petersburg, Russia
November 21 – Cinderella, ballet, op. 87 by Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) was first performed in Moscow, Russia
November 30 – Symphony No. 4, H. 305 by Bohuslav Martinů (1890-1959) was first performed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
December 17 – À l’ombre de Torre Bermeja (“In the Shadow of the Crimson Tower”) by Joaquín Rodrigo (1901-1999) was first performed in Madrid, Spain
December 17 – A Stopwatch and an Ordnance Map, for male chorus, brass, and drums, op. 15 by Samuel Barber (1910-1981) was first performed in New York, New York
1946
Twenty-Four Preludes, op. 38 by Dmitry Kabalevsky (1904-1987) was first performed in Moscow, Russia
February 8 – Piano Concerto No. 3 in E major, Sz. 119, BB 127 by Béla Bartók (1881-1945) was first performed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
May 11 – The Unanswered Question (A Cosmic Landscape), for Trumpet, Flute Quartet, and String Orchestra, by Charles Ives (1874-1954) was first performed in New York, New York
October 16 – Granville Bantock (1868-1946) died in London, England
October 18 – Symphony No. 3 by Aaron Copland (1900-1990) was first performed in Boston, Massachusetts
October 23 – Violin Sonata No. 1 in F minor, op. 80 by Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) was first performed in Moscow, Russia
November 14 – Manuel de Falla (1876-1946) died in Alta Gracia, Argentina
November 27 – Cinco piezas infantiles (“Five children’s pieces”), for orchestra, by Joaquín Rodrigo (1901-1999) was first performed in Madrid, Spain
December 6 – Maximilian Steinberg (1883-1946) died in Saint Petersburg, Russia
1947
January 8 – Piano Concerto, op. 44 by Richard Arnell (1917-2009) was first performed in New York, New York
February 15 – Violin Concerto in D major, op. 35 by Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897-1957) was first performed in St. Louis, Missouri
February 15 – John Adams (1947-) was born in Worcester, Massachusetts
March 5 – Alfredo Casella (1883-1947) died in Rome, Italy
June 14 – Michael Mauldin (1947-) was born in Port Arthur, Texas
August 20 – Concerto for Bassoon and Strings with Percussion by Gordon Jacob (1895-1984) was first performed in London, England
October 23 – Starlight Roof Waltz by George Melachrino (1909-1965) was first performed in London, England
November 12 – Flourish, Mighty Land, cantata for chorus and orchestra, op. 114 by Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) was first performed in Moscow, Russia
November 29 – The Legend of Ohrid, ballet by Stevan Hristić (1885-1958) was first performed in Belgrade, Serbia
1948
William Grant Still (1895-1978) completed Miniatures, for flute, oboe, and piano
January 21 – Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari (1876-1948) died in Venice, Italy
February 10 – Symphony No. 6 “after Delacroix” by George Antheil (1900-1959) was first performed in San Francisco, California
April 21 – Symphony No. 6 in E minor by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) was first performed in London, England
May 4 – Sleigh Ride by Leroy Anderson (1908-1975) was first performed in Boston, Massachusetts
June 27 – George Templeton Strong (1856-1948) died in Geneva, Switzerland
October 29 – Violin Concerto in C major, op. 48 by Dmitry Kabalevsky (1904-1987) was first performed in Moscow, Russia
October 30 – The Red Pony, suite from the film score, by Aaron Copland (1900-1990) was first performed in Houston, Texas
1949
Clive Richardson (1909-1998) completed Beachcomber
Robert Farnon (1917-2005) completed How Beautiful is Night
January 14 – Joaquín Turina (1882-1949) died in Madrid, Spain
July 18 – Vítězslav Novák (1870-1949) died in Skuteč, Czech Republic
September 8 – Richard Strauss (1864-1949) died in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
September 11 – Henri Rabaud (1873-1949) died in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France
December 2 – Turangalîla-Symphonie by Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992) was first performed in Boston, Massachusetts