1900 in music

Specific locations

• 1900 in Norwegian music

Events

• January 3 – Giuseppe Verdi's opera Aida makes U.S. debut.
• January 23 – The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra makes its Carnegie Hall debut with Victor Herbert conducting.
• February 3 – Adonais overture by George Whitefield Chadwick is premiered by the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
• February 22 – Jacques Thibaud, violin, with the composer himself at the piano, gives the world premièee of George Enescu's Second Violin Sonata in Paris, on a concert that is part of the Concerts Colonne series.
• March 14 – Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast for soli, chorus and orchestra is played for the first time in Boston under the baton of Benjamin Johnson Lang.
• March 22 – The first performance of the entire trilogy Hiawatha's Departure by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor for soli, chorus and orchestra at Royal Albert Hall in London, the composer conducts.
• April 10 – Mary Garden makes her operatic debut in the title role of Gustave Charpentier's opera Louise at the Opera-Comique in Paris
• May 5 – Billboard begins weekly publication in the U.S.
• May 15 – Ignace Paderewski establishes the annual Paderevski Fund Prize for American composers or orchestral compositions.
• May 22 – The Dallas Symphony Orchestra gives its first concert in Turner Hall, Dallas, Texas, conducted by Hans Kreissig.
• July 2 – Jean Sibelius's tone poem Finlandia receives its première with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Robert Kajanus.
• October 3 – Edward Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius is premièred in Birmingham, England with a poor choral performance.
• October 15 – Boston Symphony Orchestra has a new home – Symphony Hall, subsequently ranked as acoustically one of the best concert halls in the world.
• November 12 – Russian pianist Ossip Gabrilowitsch makes his American debut at Carnegie Hall, New York
• November 14 – American contralto Louise Homer makes her American debut with the Metropolitan Opera. She sings Amneris in Verdi's Aida
• November 16 – Newly founded Philadelphia Orchestra gives its first concert in Philadelphia under the baton of Fritz Scheel.
• November 22 – The University of Cambridge, England, awards Edward Elgar with the honorary degree of Doctor of Music
• November 24 – The Symphony No.1 in E Minor by Alexander Scriabin is performed at the Russian Concerts in Saint Petersburg, with Anatoly Lyadov conducting.
• December 9 – The first two sections of Claude Debussy's Nocturnes. "Nuages" and "Fetes", receive their world premiere at the Concerts Lamoureux in Paris.
• December 1 – The first public performance of Arnold Schoenberg's Zwei Gesänge, Op. 1, given by Eduard Gärtner and Alexander von Zemlinsky in Vienna's Bösendorfer-Saal, receives a negative public reaction.
• December 15 – The second and third movement of Concerto No.2 in C Minor for Piano by Sergej Rachmaninov receive their world premiere in Moscow; Rachmaninov plays the solo part.
• The famous dog trademark "His Master's Voice" is registered in the U.S. by Joseph Berliner.
• The Honolulu Symphony Orchestra is founded.

Published popular music

• "Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder " w. Arthur Gillespie m. Herbert Dillea
• "A Bird in a Gilded Cage" w. Arthur J. Lamb m. Harry Von Tilzer
• "The Blue and the Gray " w.m. Paul Dresser
• "Bridge Of Sighs" w.m. James Thornton
• "Calligan – Call Again!" w.m. Herbert Rutter & Harry Lauder
• "Calling To Her Boy Just Once Again" w.m. Paul Dresser
• "Creole Belles" w. George Sidney m. J. Bodewalt Lampe
• "The Duchess Of Central Park" w. J. Cheever Goodwin m. Maurice Levi
• "Every Race Has a Flag but the Coon" w.m. Will A. Heelan & J. Fred Helf
• "Eyes Of Blue" m. Andrew Mack
• "The Fatal Rose of Red" – J. Fred Helf
• "The Flight Of The Bumble Bee" m. Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
• "A Flower From The Garden Of Life" w.m. Thurland Chattaway
• "For Old Time's Sake" w.m. Charles K. Harris
• "The Gladiators' Entry" m. Julius Fučík
• "Hail To The Spirit Of Liberty" w.m. John Philip Sousa
• "Hunky Dory" m. Abe Holzmann
• "I Can't Tell Why I Love You But I Do" w. Will D. Cobb m. Gus Edwards
• "I Love You, Ma Cherie" w.m. Paul Rubens
• "I Must Have Been A-Dreamin' " w.m. Bob Cole
• "I Won't Be an Actor No More" w.m. George M. Cohan
• "I'll Overcome Some Day" w.m. Charles Albert Tindley
• "In The House Of Too Much Trouble" w.m. Will A. Heelan & J. Fred Helf
• "I've A Longing In My Heart For You Louise" w.m. Charles K. Harris
• "Just Because She Made Dem Goo-Goo Eyes" w.m. John Queen & Hughie Cannon
• "Lift Ev'ry Voice And Sing" w. James Weldon Johnson m. J. Rosamond Johnson
• "Little Tommy Murphy" w. Matthew Woodward m. Andrew Mack
• "A Love-Lorn Lily" w. Louis Harrison & George V. Hobart m. A. Baldwin Sloane
• "Ma Blushin' Rosie" w. Edgar Smith m. John Stromberg
• "My Charcoal Charmer" w. Will D. Cobb m. Gus Edwards
• "My Sunflower Sue" w. Walter H. Ford m. John Walter Bratton
• "Nothing Doing" w. Edgar Smith m. John Stromberg
• "Off To Philadelphia" w. Gordon Temple m. Walter B. Haynes
• "Oh! Wouldn't That Jar You?" w.m. Will D. Cobb
• "The Old Flag Never Touched The Ground" w.m. James Weldon Johnson & J. Rosamond Johnson
• "Song Of The Flea" – w. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe; m. Modest Moussorgsky
• "Strike Up the Band – Here Comes a Sailor" w. Andrew B. Sterling m. Charles B. Ward
• "Swipesy" m. Scott Joplin and Arthur Marshall
• "The Tale Of The Kangaroo" w. Frank Pixley m. Gustave Luders
• "Tell Me Pretty Maiden" w. Owen Hall m. Leslie Stuart
• "That Old Sunny Window" w.m. Shelley
• "There Are Two Sides To A Story" w.m. Will A. Heelan & J. Fred Helf
• "Violets" w. Julian Fane m. Ellen Wright
• "Wait" w. Charles Horwitz m. Frederick W. Bowers
• "When Reuben Comes To Town" w. J. Cheever Goodwin m. Maurice Levi
• "When The Birds Go North Again" w. Robert F. Roden m. Max S. Witt
• "When The Harvest Days Are Over, Jessie Dear" w. Howard Graham m. Harry Von Tilzer

Recorded popular music

• "American Patrol"

• "A Bird in a Gilded Cage"

• "Doan Ye Cry, Mah Honey"

• "The Duchess Of Central Park"

• "For Old Time's Sake"

• "Just Because She Made Dem Goo-Goo Eyes"

• "Lead, Kindly Light"

• "A Love-Lorn Lily"

• "Ma Blushin' Rosie"

• "My Sunflower Sue"

• "O! That We Two Were Maying"

• "Strike Up the Band "

• "Tell Me Pretty Maiden"

• "When Reuben Comes To Town"

• "When You Were Sweet Sixteen"

• "Where The Sweet Magnolias Grow"

Classical music

• Edward Elgar – The Dream of Gerontius
• George Enescu –
• *Impromptu, for piano
• *Die nächtliche Herschau, for baritone, choir, and orchestra
• *Octet for Strings in C major, Op. 7
• *Plugar, for mixed choir
• Reinhold Glière – Symphony No 1 in E-flat major, Op. 8
• Alexander Goedicke – Piano Concerto
• Joseph Holbrooke – The Raven
• Gustav Mahler – Symphony No. 4 in G major
• Josef Rheinberger – Requiem in D minor
• Richard Strauss – Five Songs for voice and piano, Op. 48
• Josef Suk – Pieces for violin and piano

Opera

• John Philip Sousa – Chris and the Wonderful Lamp, premiere in New York City, January 1
• Giacomo Puccini – Tosca, premièred at the Teatro Constanzi in Rome, January 14
• Jan Blockx – Thyl Uylenspiegel, premièred in Brussels, January 18
• Alexander von Zemlinsky – Es war einmal, premièred in Vienna Opera, January 22
• Gustave Charpentier – Louise, première in Paris Opera-Comique, February 2
• Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari – La Cenerentola, première in Theatro le Fenice in Venice, February 22
• Gabriel Fauré – Prométhée, première of his first opera in Roman arena at Beziers, August 27
• Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov – Asya, première in Moscow, September 28
• Władysław Żeleński - premiere of the opera Janek in Austria, October 4
• Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov – The Tale of Tsar Saltan, première in Solodovnikov Theatre in Moscow, November 3
• Ruggiero Leoncavallo – Zaza, première in Teatro Lirico in Molan, November 10
• George Stephanescu – Cometa
• César Cui – Feast in Time of Plague, première in Moscow at the Noviy Theater, November 1901

Ballet

• Alexander Glazunov – Les Ruses d'amour, premiere Hermitage Theater in Saint Petersburg, January 17
• Riccardo Drigo – Les millions d'Arlequin, premiere Hermitage Theater in Saint Petersburg, February 10
• Alexander Glazunov – Les Saisons, premiere Hermitage Theater in Saint Petersburg, February 20
• August Enna – ''The Shepherdess and the Chimney-Sweep''

Musical theater

• Aunt Hannah: Broadway production opened at the Bijou Theatre on February 22, 1900 and ran for 21 performances
• The Cadet Girl: Broadway production opened at the Herald Square Theatre on July 25 and ran for 48 performances
• The Casino Girl: London production opened at the Shaftesbury Theatre on April 25
• Chris And The Wonderful Lamp: Broadway production opened at the Victoria Theater on January 1 and ran for 58 performances
• Fiddle-Dee-Dee: Broadway production opened at Weber and Fields' Broadway Music Hall on September 6 and ran for 262 performances
• Florodora: Broadway production opened at the Casino Theatre on November 10 and ran for 505 performances, while its run at London's Lyric Theatre continued throughout the year
• Giddy Throng: Broadway revue opened at the New York Theatre on December 24 and ran for 164 performances
• The Messenger Boy: London production opened at the Gaiety Theatre on February 3 and ran for 429 performances
• Miss Prinnt: Broadway production opened at the Victoria Theater on December 25 and ran for 211 performances
• The Rogers Brothers In Central Park: Broadway production opened at the Victoria Theater on September 17 and transferred to the Grand Opera House on April 1, 1901, for a total run of 80 performances
• San Toy: Broadway production opened at Daly's Theatre on October 1 and ran for 65 performances
• Véronique (operetta): Vienna production opened at the Theater an der Wien on March 10

Births

• January 1 – Xavier Cugat, bandleader
• January 6 – Pierre-Octave Ferroud, French composer
• January 7 – John Brownlee, American baritone and opera teacher
• January 13 – Yasuji Kiyose, Japanese composer
• February 3
• * Anni Frind, German lyric soprano
• * Mabel Mercer, English-American singer and actress
• February 13 – Wingy Manone, U.S. jazz musician
• March 2 – Kurt Weill, German composer.
• March 10 – Peter De Rose, US composer
• March 21 – Paul Kletzki, Polish conductor
• April 2 – Anis Fuleihan, Cypriot-born US composer
• April 8 – Gavriel Mullokandov, Bukharian Jewish singer and musician
• April 11 – Kai Normann Andersen, Danish composer
• April 14 – Salvatore Baccaloni, Italian bass opera singer
• April 17 – Willy Burkhard, Swiss composer
• April 23 – Henry Barraud, French composer
• April 26 – Joseph Fuchs, American violinist
• May 5 – Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt, German conductor
• May 17 – Nicolai Berezowsky, Russian composer
• May 27 – Leopold Godowsky, Jr., American violinist and chemist
• May 28 – Tommy Ladnier, jazz musician
• June 15
• *Paul Mares, jazz musician
• *Otto Luening, German-American composer
• June 17 - Hermann Reutter, German composer
• June 22 - Jennie Tourel, Russian mezzo-soprano
• June 24 – Gene Austin, US singer and composer
• June 26 – Richard Crooks, US tenor
• July 8 – George Antheil, composer
• July 10
• *Evelyn Laye, English actress and singer
• *Mitchell Parish, US lyricist
• July 13 – George Lewis, jazz musician
• July 29 – Don Redman, US arranger, bandleader and saxophonist
• August 2 – Helen Morgan, US singer and actress
• August 8 – Lucky Millinder, US bandleader
• August 22
• * Lisy Fischer, Swiss pianist, child prodigy
• * Váša Příhoda, Czech violinist
• August 23 – Ernst Krenek, Austrian-born American composer
• September 3 – Eduard van Beinum, Dutch conductor
• September 7 – Joan Cross, operatic soprano
• September 20 – Uuno Klami, Finnish composer
• September 28 – Joe Falcon, Cajun accordionist
• October 9 – Elmer Snowden, banjo player
• October 19 – Erna Berger, coloratura soprano
• November 7 – Efrem Kurtz, Russian conductor
• November 14 – Aaron Copland, composer
• November 25
• * Arthur Schwartz, US composer
• * Tibor Serly, Hungarien composer, violinist and conductor
• November 27 – Léon Barzin, Belgian-born American conductor
• December 12 – Sammy Davis, Sr., vaudeville entertainer
• December 14 – Juan d'Arienzo, tango musician
• December 17 – Lucijan Marija Škerjanc, Slovene composer, pedagogue and conductor
• December 19 – Audrey Mildmay, English soprano
• December 22 – Alan Bush, British pianist, composer and conductor
• December 25 – Gladys Swarthout, American mezzo-soprano
• December 27 – Willem van Otterloo, Dutch conductor, cellist and composer
• December 29 – B. H. Haggin, music critic

Deaths

• January 22 – David E. Hughes, musician and inventor, 68
• January 26 – Carl Leopold Sjöberg, composer, 38
• February 3 – Ottokar Novacek, violinist and composer, 33
• March 10 – Johan Peter Emilius Hartmann, composer, 94
• March 13 – Alicia Ann Spottiswoode, songwriter, 89
• March 19 – Charles-Louis Hanon, composer and piano teacher, 80
• April 21 – Charles Beecher, hymn-writer, 84
• May 13 – Hermann Levi, German conductor, 61
• May 20 – Gustav Graben-Hoffmann, German composer and voice teacher, 80
• May 28 – George Grove, compiler of the well-known dictionary of music, 79
• June 15 – Barnolt, French operatic tenor, 61
• July 19 – Jovan Sundečić, lyricist of the Montenegro national anthem, 75
• August 11 – Franz Betz, operatic bass-baritone, 65
• August 29 – Herrman S. Saroni, composer, 76
• October 9 – Heinrich von Herzogenberg, conductor and composer, 57
• October 14 – Sándor Erkel, Hungarian composer, son of Ferenc Erkel
• October 15 – Zdeněk Fibich, composer, 49
• November 7 – Joseph Schalk, pianist, conductor and musicologist, 43
• November 14 – Adolf Pollitzer, violinist, 68
• November 17 – Heinrich Porges, choirmaster and music critic, 62
• November 22 – Sir Arthur Sullivan, composer, 58
• December 8 – Henry Russell, pianist, baritone singer and composer
• date unknown – Louis Liebe, conductor and composer