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.
1920
February 28 – Le Tombeau de Couperin [“The Tomb of Couperin”] (orchestrated version) by Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) was first performed in Paris, France
March 25 – The Hymn of Jesus, op. 37 (H. 140) by Gustav Holst (1874-1934) was first performed in London, England
April 8 – Charles Griffes (1884-1920) died in New York, New York
May 23 – Short Festival Te Deum, for mixed chorus and orchestra (H. 145) by Gustav Holst (1874-1934) was first performed in London, England
June 20 – Three Tone-Pictures, op. 5 by Charles Griffes (1884-1920) was first performed in Greenwich, Connecticut
October 2 – Max Bruch (1838-1920) died in Berlin, Germany
1921
January 23 – The Three Miracles of Saint Cecilia, incidental music to the play by Henri Ghéon, by Aita Donostia (1886-1956) was first performed in Paris, France
January 30 – The Fog is Lifting, for flute and harp, op. 41, no. 2, by Carl Nielsen (1865-1931) was first performed in Copenhagen, Denmark
February 20 – Ruth Gipps (1921-1999) was born in Bexhill-on-Sea, England
March 4 – Kaljo Raid (1921-2005) was born in Tallinn, Estonia
September 27 – Engelbert Humperdinck (1854-1921) died in Neustrelitz, Germany
October 9 – Taras Bulba by Leoš Janáček (1854-1928) was first performed in Brno, Czech Republic
October 21 – Malcolm Arnold (1921-2006) was born in Northampton, Northamptonshire, England
December 1 – The Perfect Fool, ballet suite, op. 39 (H. 150) by Gustav Holst (1874-1934) was first performed in London, England
December 16 – Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) died in Algiers, Algeria
December 16 – Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major, op. 26 by Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) was first performed in Chicago, Illinois
1922
January 26 – Symphony No. 3, “Pastoral”, by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) was first performed in London, England
January 30 – Percy Grainger (1882-1961) completed Spoon River (AFMS No. 2) [elastic scoring]
February 25 – Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) was first performed in Paris, France
March 10 – Hans Sitt (1860-1922) died in Leipzig, Germany
May 20 – Daisies, in F major, op. 38, no. 3 (piano-only version) by Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) was first performed in London, England
July 31 – Three Fantastic Dances, op. 5 by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) was first performed in Saint Petersburg, Russia
October 6 – Ode to Death, op. 38 (H. 144) by Gustav Holst (1874-1934) was first performed in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
October 19 – Pictures at an Exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky (1839-1881) as orchestrated by Maurice Ravel (1875-1937), was first performed in Paris, France
1923
Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936) completed the Ancient Airs and Dances, Suite II, P 138
Joseph Canteloube (1879-1957) completed Baïlèro, Chants d’Auvergne, Series 1, No. 2
May 28 – György Ligeti (1923-2006) was born in Târnăveni, Romania
June 5 – Old King Cole, ballet by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) was first performed in Cambridge, England
September 30 – Hassan, incidental music, by Frederick Delius (1862-1934) was first performed in London, England
October 18 – Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major, op. 19 by Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) was first performed in Paris, France
October 25 – Piano Trio No. 1 in C minor, op. 8 by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) was first performed in Saint Petersburg, Russia [published posthumously: last 22 bars of the piano part lost and completed by Boris Tishchenko (1939-2010)]
1924
January 17 – “The Man I Love” by George Gershwin (1898-1937) was first performed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania [lyrics by Ira Gershwin]
February 12 – Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin (1898-1937) was first performed in New York, New York
February 27 – Trevor Duncan (1924-2005) was born in London, England
May 8 – The revised version of Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, op. 16 by Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) was first performed in Paris, France
July 27 – Ferruccio Busoni (1866-1924) died in Berlin, Germany
September 14 – Ruralia hungarica, Five pieces for orchestra, op. 32b, by Ernst von Dohnányi (1877-1960) was first performed in Pécs, Hungary
September 28 – Rudolf Barshai (1924-2010) was born in Labinsk, Russia
November 4 – Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) died in Paris, France
November 29 – Skovvandring (“Woodland Ramble”), op. 40 by Ludolf Nielsen (1876-1939) was first performed in Copenhagen, Denmark
December 14 – The Pines of Rome, tone poem, P 141 by Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936) was first performed in Rome, Italy
1925
Enrique Fernández Arbós (1863-1939) completed his orchestrations of five of the twelve piano pieces, Iberia, by Isaac Albéniz (1860-1909)
May 29 – Concerto Grosso No. 1 for String Orchestra with Piano Obbligato by Ernest Bloch (1880-1959) was first performed in Cleveland, Ohio
July 1 – Erik Satie (1866-1925) died in Paris, France
August 31 – Mississippi Suite by Ferde Grofé (1892-1972) was first performed in New York, New York
October 10 – Flos Campi, suite for solo viola, small chorus, and small orchestra by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) was first performed in London, England
November 20 – Clytus Gottwald (1925-2023) was born in Szczawno-Zdrój, Poland
November 29 – The Love for Three Oranges, Suite, op. 33bis by Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) was first performed in Paris, France
December 3 – Piano Concerto in F major by George Gershwin (1898-1937) was first performed in New York, New York
1926
Joaquín Rodrigo (1901-1999) completed Zarabanda lejana (Distant Sarabande)
February 21 – Symphony in D minor by Adolphe Biarent (1871-1916) was first performed in Charleroi, Belgium
May 2 – Trio for Oboe, Bassoon, and Piano, FP 43 by Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) was first performed in Paris, France
May 7 – Sancta Civitas, oratorio for baritone, tenor, chorus, semi-chorus, distant chorus, and orchestra, by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) was first performed in Oxford England
May 12 – Symphony No. 1 in F minor, op. 10 by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) was first performed in Saint Petersburg, Russia
June 26 – Sinfonietta by Leoš Janáček (1854-1928) was first performed in Prague, Czech Republic
October – Peter Warlock (1894-1930) completed Capriol Suite
October 31 – Symphony No. 5 in F♯ minor, “Dance Symphony”, by Emil von Reznicek (1860-1945) was first performed in Vienna, Austria
November 1 – The Profound Life of Saint Francis of Assisi, incidental music to the play by Henri Ghéon, by Aita Donostia (1886-1956) was first performed in Paris, France
December 2 – Seven Part-Songs, op. 44 (H. 162) by Gustav Holst (1874-1934) was first performed in London, England (Nos. 1-5)
December 26 – Tapiola, tone poem in B minor, op. 112 by Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) was first performed in New York, New York
1927
Alfred Hill (1869-1960) completed The Moon’s Golden Horn, poem for orchestra
Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962) completed Gypsy Caprice
Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936) completed Three Botticelli Pictures, P 151
Manuel Ponce (1882-1948) completed Sonata III, for guitar
February 16 – Cinco piezas infantiles (Five children’s pieces), for orchestra, by Joaquín Rodrigo (1901-1999) was first performed in Valencia, Spain
March 24 – Háry János Suite, op. 35a by Zoltán Kodály (1882-1967) was first performed in Barcelona, Spain
June 7 – Le pas d’acier (“The Steel Step”), ballet, op. 41 by Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) was first performed in Paris, France
June 14 – The Red Poppy, ballet, op. 70 by Reinhold Glière (1875-1956) was first performed in Moscow, Russia
October 27 – Dominick Argento (1927-2019) was born in York, Pennsylvania
1928
Leoš Janáček (1854-1928) completed Schluck und Jau, incidental music
Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936) completed Brazilian Impressions, P 153
February 12 – Egdon Heath, tone poem, op. 47 (H. 172) by Gustav Holst (1874-1934) was first performed in New York, New York
June 12 – Gli uccelli (“The Birds”), P 154 by Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936) was first performed in São Paulo, Brazil
August 12 – Leoš Janáček (1854-1928) died in Ostrava, Czech Republic
September 11 – String Quartet No. 2, “Intimate Letters”, by Leoš Janáček (1854-1928) was first performed in Brno, Czech Republic
October 9 – Einojuhani Rautavaara (1929-2016) was born in Helsinki, Finland
December 13 – An American in Paris by George Gershwin (1898-1937) was first performed in New York, New York
1929
January 11 – Stabat Mater, op. 53 by Karol Szymanowski (1882-1937) was first performed in Warsaw, Poland
February 10 – Jerry Goldsmith (1929-2004) was born in Los Angeles, California
February 21 – Roman Festivals, tone poem, P 157 by Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936) was first performed in New York, New York
May 21 – L’enfant prodigue (“The Prodigal Son”), ballet, op. 46 by Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) was first performed in Paris, France
November 7 – Suite-Divertissement, for violin, viola, cello, and piano, by Alexandre Tansman (1897-1986) was first performed in Brussels, Belgium
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