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.
1900
Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) completed the final version of The Swan of Tuonela, op. 22, no. 3
March 2 – Kurt Weill (1900-1950) was born in Dessau, Germany
April 7 – Piano Concerto in C♯ minor, op. 45, by Amy Beach (1867-1944) was first performed in Boston, Massachusetts
July 1 – Symphony No. 1 in E minor, op. 39, by Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) was first performed in Berlin, Germany
July 2 – Finlandia, op. 26, by Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) was first performed in Helsinki, Finland
July 8 – George Antheil (1900-1959) was born in Trenton, New Jersey
July 12 – Requiem in D minor, op. 48, by Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) was first performed in Paris, France
November 3 – The Tale of Tsar Saltan, opera, by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908) was first performed in Moscow, Russia
November 14 – Aaron Copland (1900-1990) was born in Brooklyn, New York
1901
Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) completed The Snow is Falling, op. 1, no. 5, for children’s chorus and organ
January 27 – Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) died in Milan, Italy
February 3 – Pelléas et Mélisande Suite, op. 80, by Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) was first performed in Paris, France
February 7 – Pohádka (Fairy Tale), op. 16, by Josef Suk (1874-1935) was first performed in Prague, Czech Republic
March 31 – Rusalka, opera, op. 114, B203 by Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904) was first performed in Prague, Czech Republic
September 14 – Chanson de Nuit, in G major, op. 15, no. 1, and Chanson de Matin, in G major, op. 15, no. 2 by Edward Elgar (1857-1934) were first performed in London, England
October 19 – Pomp and Circumstance, March No. 1 and March No. 2, by Edward Elgar (1857-1934) were first performed in Liverpool, England
October 27 – Three Nocturnes, CD 98, by Claude Debussy (1862-1918) was first performed in Paris, France
November 9 – Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, op. 18, by Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) was first performed in Moscow, Russia
November 22 – Joaquín Rodrigo (1901-1999) was born in Sagunto, Valencia, Spain
1902
Josef Suk (1874-1935) completed Elegie (Under the Impression of Zeyer’s Vyšehrad), op. 23
Franz Schreker (1878-1934) completed Schwanensang (Swan Song), for chorus and orchestra, op. 11
March 29 – William Walton (1902-1983) was born in Oldham, England
June 28 – Richard Rodgers (1902-1979) was born in New York, New York
September 10 – The Witch of Atlas, Tone Poem for Orchestra No. 5, by Granville Bantock (1868-1946), was first performed in Worcester, England
1903
February 22 – Hugo Wolf (1860-1903) died in Vienna, Austria
June 6 – Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978) was born in Kojori, Georgia
October 8 – Helios Overture, op. 17, by Carl Nielsen (1865-1931) was first performed in Copenhagen, Denmark
October 19 – Vittorio Giannini (1903-1966) was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
November 10 – Symphony No. 2 in D major, op. 43, by Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) was first performed in Stockholm, Sweden
1904
January 13 – Richard Addinsell (1904-1977) was born in London, England
March 16 – In the South (Alassio), op. 50, by Edward Elgar (1857-1934) was first performed in London, England
March 25 – Armida, opera, op. 115, B206 by Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904) was first performed in Prague, Czech Republic
March 30 – Koanga, opera, by Frederick Delius (1862-1934) was first performed in Wuppertal, Germany
May 1 – Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904) died in Prague, Czech Republic
October 18 – Symphony No. 5 in C♯ minor by Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) was first performed in Cologne, Germany
December 2 – Songs of Travel by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) was first performed in London, England
December 30 – Dmitry Kabalevsky (1904-1987) was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia
1905
Claude Debussy (1862-1918) completed Suite bergamasque, CD 82
Ernst von Dohnányi (1877-1960) completed Winterreigen, op. 13
January 10 – Symphony No. 3 in C major “Singulière” by Franz Berwald (1796-1868) was first performed in Stockholm, Sweden
August 23 – Constant Lambert (1905-1951) was born in London, England
October 15 – La Mer, CD 111, by Claude Debussy (1862-1918) was first performed in Paris, France
October 19 – Violin Concerto in D minor, op. 47, by Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) was first performed in Berlin, Germany
November 7 – William Alwyn (1905-1985) was born in Northampton, England
December 9 – Dance of the Seven Veils, from Salome, opera by Richard Strauss (1864-1949) was first performed in Dresden, Germany
1906
Aita Donostia (1886-1956) completed Rapsodia Baskongada [Basque Rhapsody]
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) completed the orchestration of “Une barque sur l’océan” from Miroirs
March 7 – Konzertstück in D major, for cello and orchestra, op. 12, by Ernst von Dohnányi (1877-1960) was first performed in Budapest, Hungary
May 9 – Iberia, Book 1, by Isaac Albéniz (1860-1909) was first performed in Paris, France
May 27 – Symphony No. 6 in A minor by Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) was first performed in Essen, Germany
July 24 – Alfredo Casella (1883-1947) completed Symphony No. 1 in B minor, op. 5
September 25 – Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia
December 6 – Orchestral version of Dolly Suite, op. 56 by Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) was first performed in Monte Carlo, Monaco [orchestrated by Henri Rabaud (1873-1949)]
1907
February 3 – Symphony No. 2 in C minor, “Asrael Symphony”, op. 27, by Josef Suk (1874-1935) was first performed in Prague, Czech Republic
February 16 – Alec Wilder (1907-1980) was born in Rochester, New York
February 21 – “The Walk to the Paradise Garden”, from the opera A Village Romeo and Juliet, by Frederick Delius (1862-1934) was first performed in Berlin, Germany
February 22 – Introduction and Allegro for Harp, Flute, Clarinet, and Strings by Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) was first performed in Paris, France
September 4 – Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) died in Bergen, Norway
September 11 – Iberia, Book 2, by Isaac Albéniz (1860-1909) was first performed in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, France
November 17 – James Moody (1907-1995) was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland
1908
Sigfrid Karg-Elert (1877-1933) completed Marche triomphale, “Nun danket alle Gott” op. 65, no. 59 (for organ)
January 2 – Iberia, Book 3, by Isaac Albéniz (1860-1909) was first performed in Paris, France
January 23 – Edward MacDowell (1860-1908) died in New York, New York
January 26 – Symphony No. 2 in E minor, op. 27, by Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) was first performed in Saint Petersburg, Russia
February 18 – Brigg Fair, An English Rhapsody, by Frederick Delius (1862-1934) was first performed in London, England
March 15 – Rapsodie espagnole, M. 54, by Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) was first performed in Paris, France
May 15 – Lars-Erik Larsson (1908-1986) was born in Åkarp, Sweden
June 21 – Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908) died near Luga, Leningrad Oblast, Russia
June 29 – Leroy Anderson (1908-1975) was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts
September 20 – Pablo de Sarasate (1844-1908) died in Biarritz, France
October 18 – Drapa, op. 27, for Large Orchestra by Hugo Alfvén (1872-1960) was first performed in Stockholm, Sweden
October 19 – Geirr Tveitt (1908-1981) was born in Bergen, Norway
November 19 – Jean-Yves Daniel-Lesur (1908-2002) was born in Paris, France
December 10 – Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992) was born in Avignon, France
1909
January 9 – Gaspard de la nuit, M. 55, by Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) was first performed in Paris, France
February 9 – Iberia, Book 4, by Isaac Albéniz (1860-1909) was first performed in Paris, France
February 21 – The Enchanted Lake, op. 62, by Anatoly Lyadov (1855-1914) was first performed in Saint Petersburg, Russia
February 22 – In the Fen Country, tone poem by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) was first performed in London, England
May 1 – Isle of the Dead in A minor, op. 29, symphonic poem by Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) was first performed in Moscow, Russia
May 1 – George Melachrino (1909-1965) was born in London, England
May 18 – Isaac Albéniz (1860-1909) died in Cambo-les-Bains, France
June 23 – Clive Richardson (1909-1998) was born in Paris, France
October 7 – Le Coq d’Or, opera by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908) was first performed in Moscow, Russia
November 28 – Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, op. 30, by Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) was first performed in New York, New York
December 12 – Kikimora, op. 63, tone poem by Anatoly Lyadov (1855-1914) was first performed in Saint Petersburg, Russia
December 15 – Francisco Tárrega (1852-1909) died in Barcelona, Spain
December 18 – Octet for Double String Quartet in C major, op. 7, by George Enescu (1881-1955) was first performed in Paris, France