1956 in music

This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1956.

Specific locations

Specific genres

Events

January 3 – Bach: The Goldberg Variations, Glenn Gould's debut solo piano recording, is released by Columbia Records in the United States; it sells 40,000 copies by 1960.
January 26
*The North American premiere of Carlos Chávez's Third Symphony is given by the New York Philharmonic, conducted by the composer. The work had been commissioned by Clare Boothe Luce to commemorate her daughter.
January 27 – Elvis Presley's single "Heartbreak Hotel" / "I Was the One" is released. It goes on to be Elvis's first #1 hit.
January 28 – Elvis Presley makes his national television debut on The Dorsey Brothers Stage Show.
February 3 – The Symphony of the Air, conducted by Leonard Bernstein, gives the world première of Robert Moevs's Fourteen Variations for Orchestra in New York.
February 11 – Henry Barraud's Concertino for Piano and Winds receives its world-première performance by Eugene List and members of the New York Chamber Ensemble in New York City.
February 24 – "Canto a Baja California", with lyrics by Rafael Trujillo and music by Rafael Gama, is selected as the official anthem of the Mexican states of Baja California and Baja California Sur.
March 10 – Carl Perkins' single "Blue Suede Shoes" enters the R&B charts, the first time a country music artist has made it on the R&B charts.
March 21 – World première of Heitor Villa-Lobos's Eleventh Symphony, by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Charles Münch, at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
March 22 – Carl Perkins is injured in a car accident near Wilmington, Delaware, United States, on his way to New York City to make an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. He spends several months in hospital.
March 24 – The first regularly scheduled nationally broadcast rock & roll show, Rock 'n Roll Dance Party, with Alan Freed as host, premières on the CBS Radio Network.
March 26 – Colonel Tom Parker formally becomes Elvis Presley's manager.
March 31 – Elvis Presley films a screen test for Paramount Pictures.
April 3 - John Serry collaborates with Mike Danzi in a revival production of A Month in the Country at the Off-Broadway Phoenix Theatre under the direction of Michael Redgrave.
April 6 – Paramount Pictures signs Elvis Presley to a three-picture deal.
April 10 – A group of racial segregationists rush the stage at a Nat King Cole concert in Birmingham, Alabama, but are quickly restrained.
April 22 – The 2i's Coffee Bar opens in Old Compton Street, Soho, London; its basement rapidly becomes a pioneering venue for rock & roll music in Britain, Tommy Steele being resident from July.
May 2 – For the first time in [Billboard magazine|Billboard magazine|Billboard magazine] history, five singles appear in both the pop and R&B Top Ten charts. They are Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel", Carl Perkins' "Blue Suede Shoes", Little Richard's "Long Tall Sally", the Platters' "(You've Got) The Magic Touch" and Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers' "Why Do Fools Fall in Love". Presley's and Perkins' singles also appear on the country and western Top Ten chart at #1 and #2 respectively.
May 6–In Paris, Heitor Villa-Lobos records his Bachiana Brasileira No. 9 with the strings of the Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Française, for EMI.
May 6–28 – In Paris, Heitor Villa-Lobos supervises the recording of his Bachianas Brasileiras No. 6 by Fernand Dufrene and René Plessier and his Bachianas Brasileiras No. 2 with the Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Française, the four suites of his Descobrimento do Brasil, his Chôros No. 10 and his Invocação em defesa da patria, with Maria Kareska, the Chorale des, and the Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Française for EMI.
May 8
*Ernst Toch's Third Symphony is awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music.
*Benjamin Britten's opera Gloriana is given its US premiere in Cincinnati, in concert form conducted by Josef Krips.
May 24 – The first-ever Eurovision Song Contest from the Kursaal Theatre, Lugano, Switzerland. Seven countries participate, each with two songs. Switzerland is declared the winner, with Lys Assia singing "Refrain".
June – The winners of the Queen Elisabeth International Music Competition, held in Brussels and devoted this year to the piano, are:
*First Prize: Vladimir Ashkenazy
*Second Prize: John Browning
*Third Prize: Andrzej Czajkowski
*Fourth Prize: Cécile Ousset
*Fifth Prize: Lazar Berman
June 3 – Fred Diodati replaces Al Alberts as lead singer of the Four Aces.
June 5 – Elvis Presley introduces his new single, "Hound Dog", on The Milton Berle Show, scandalizing the audience with his suggestive hip movements.
June 7–13 – In Paris, Heitor Villa-Lobos records his Bachiana Brasileira No. 5 with Victoria de los Ángeles and a cello ensemble from the Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Française, for EMI.
June 13 – Herbert von Karajan is announced as the new artistic director of the Vienna State Opera, to succeed Karl Böhm starting in September.
July – At the Berkshire Festival, Benny Goodman records both the Clarinet Concerto and the Quintet for Clarinet and Strings by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, for RCA Victor. The recordings are made in stereo, though first released in 1957 only in a monaural mixdown.
July 11–22 – The Darmstädter Ferienkurse are held in Darmstadt with a series of lectures by Theodor W. Adorno, two public discussions of the new medium of electronic music, and world premieres of works by Richard Rodney Bennett, Pierre Boulez, Jacques Calonne, Aldo Clementi, Luc Ferrari, Alexander Goehr, Bengt Hambraeus, Hans Werner Henze, Bruno Maderna, Henri Pousseur, and Karlheinz Stockhausen.
July 17 – The Metropolitan Opera Association announces the cancellation of its 1956–57 season because of a labor dispute.
July 19 – The American Guild of Musical Artists and the Metropolitan Opera Association announce a resolution of their dispute, so that the season will begin on October 29 as originally planned.
July 22 – The first UK Albums Chart is published, in Record Mirror; Frank Sinatra's Songs for Swingin' Lovers! tops it for the first two weeks.
Summer – John Lennon forms a skiffle group, the Quarrymen, with friends from Quarry Bank High School in Liverpool, England, originally Eric Griffiths and Pete Shotton.
August–September – Maria Callas makes studio recordings of Giuseppe Verdi's, Il trovatore, conducted by Herbert von Karajan, Giacomo Puccini's, La bohème, conducted by Antonino Votto, and Giuseppe Verdi's, Un ballo in maschera, also conducted by Votto, for EMI.
September 5 – The posthumous world première of Sergei Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 4, composed in 1931, takes place in Berlin, performed by Siegfried Rapp and the West Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Martin Rich.
September 9 – Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show.
October 6 - Lawrence Welk signs with Ben Selvin at RCA Thesaurus to broadcast The New Lawrence Welk Show on national radio networks.
October 10–20 – First Warsaw Autumn International Festival of Contemporary Music.
October 14 – Leopold Stokowski conducts the Symphony of the Air in three world premières at Carnegie Hall: Charles Ives's Browning Overture, Alan Hovhaness's Symphony No. 3, and Kurt Leimer's Piano Concerto No. 4.
October 16 – The New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra announces that, at the request of their music director, Dimitri Mitropoulos, they have engaged Leonard Bernstein to share the direction of the orchestra with Mitropoulos for the 1957–58 season.
October 20–21 – The Donaueschinger Musiktage new-music festival takes place with a memorial concert featuring the music of Arthur Honegger, and also concerts with compositions of Luciano Berio, Pierre Boulez, Claude Debussy, Gottfried von Einem, Hans Werner Henze, Roman Haubenstock-Ramati, Maurice Jarre, Olivier Messiaen, and Igor Stravinsky
October 22 – Sigurd Rascher and the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra open their 1956–57 season with a concert including the world première of Carl Anton Wirth's Concerto for Saxophone and Orchestra.
October 29 – In New York, the Metropolitan Opera's seventy-second season opens with a revival of Bellini's Norma, made especially for Maria Callas's Metropolitan debut in the title role.
November 5
*Nat King Cole becomes the first major black performer to host a variety show on US national television, when The Nat King Cole Show is broadcast.
*Royal Performance in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, by Liberace, in London.
November 13 – The first of a series of Hoffnung Music Festival Concerts takes place at the Royal Festival Hall, in London.
November 28 – Yoko Ono, recently divorced from Japanese composer Toshi Ichiyanagi, marries Anthony Cox.
December 4 – Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash record together at Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. The sessions are later released under the name "the Million Dollar Quartet"
December 19 – Breaking the record for the highest number of concurrent singles by a single artist, Elvis Presley holds 9 positions on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Presley would hold the record until 1964 when the Beatles hold 14 positions on the chart.
Pierre Gabaye wins the Prix de Rome in the Musical Composition category.
Gene Vincent signs a publishing contract with Bill Lowery.
Dalida's musical career begins on Barclay Records in Europe as the first biggest "world pop star" and sex symbol and she is the first artist to have her photo on a single in France. 175 000 copies of her big hits "Bambino" are sold in a few weeks.
Chrysler Corporation provides an in-car turntable 16 rpm record player with 7-inch ultramicrogroove records in its luxury make, the Imperial. The machine was developed by Peter Carl Goldmark – the man who invented the 33 rpm long playing record format.
Cameo-Parkway Records is formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by Kal Mann and Bernie Lowe.
Foundation of the Korean piano brand Young Chang.
Cleveland television station WEWS-TV launches Polka Varieties, a regular Sunday-afternoon, hour-long program devoted to polka music; Frank Yankovic leads the original band to perform on the show.

Albums released

Alors raconte – Gilbert BécaudThe Ames Brothers with Hugo Winterhalter – Ames Brothers and Hugo WinterhalterAsia Minor – Machito and his Afro-CubansBing Sings Whilst Bregman Swings – Bing CrosbyBlack Coffee – Peggy LeeBluejean Bop! – Gene VincentBlue Rose – Rosemary ClooneyThe Boss of the Blues – Big Joe TurnerCalendar Girl – Julie LondonCalypso – Harry Belafonte, first LP to sell over a million copiesThe Champ – Jimmy SmithCharles Aznavour chante Charles Aznavour, vol. 3 – Charles AznavourChet Baker Sings – Chet BakerChris Connor – Chris ConnorClifford Brown and Max Roach at Basin Street – Clifford Brown and Max RoachThe Complete Porgy and Bess – Original Broadway CastCount Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings – Joe WilliamsDay by Day – Doris DayDinner in Colombia – Aldemaro RomeroDinner Music for People Who Aren't Very Hungry – Spike JonesDjango – Modern Jazz QuartetElla and Louis – Ella Fitzgerald and Louis ArmstrongElla Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook – Ella FitzgeraldElla Fitzgerald Sings the Rodgers & Hart Songbook – Ella FitzgeraldEllington at Newport – Duke EllingtonElvis – Elvis PresleyElvis Presley – Elvis Presley Exactly Like You – the Ames BrothersFavorite Cowboy Songs – Sons of the PioneersFinger Style Guitar – Chet AtkinsFlight to Romance – Aldemaro RomeroFontessa – Modern Jazz QuartetThe Four Aces – the Four AcesFrank Sinatra Conducts Tone Poems of Color – Frank SinatraFrankie Laine and the Four Lads – Frankie LaineThe Genius of Bud Powell – Bud PowellA Girl Named Jo – Jo StaffordHeimweh – Freddy QuinnThe Hi-Fi Nightingale – Caterina ValenteHigh Society – Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong & Celeste HolmHolding Hands at Midnight – Dinah ShoreHowdy! – Pat BooneImprovisations – Stéphane GrappelliIn the Land of Hi-Fi – Patti PageInformal Jazz – Elmo HopeJe me suis fait tout petit – Georges BrassensThe Lark in the Morning – Liam Clancy and Tommy MakemLatin Kick – Cal TjaderLennie Tristano – Lennie TristanoLonely Girl – Julie LondonLove Songs Sung – Dinah ShoreLullaby Time – Bing CrosbyManhattan Tower – Patti PageMax Roach + 4 – Max RoachMiles Davis Volume 1 – Miles DavisMiles Davis Volume 2 – Miles DavisMiles: The New Miles Davis Quintet – Miles DavisMiles Davis with Horns – Miles DavisThe Misty Miss Christy – June ChristyMoondog – MoondogMusic for Two in Love – Patti PageNew Jazz Conceptions – Bill EvansNursery Days – Woody GuthrieOdetta Sings Ballads and Blues – OdettaOn the Sunny Side – the Four LadsPage Three – Easy Listening – Patti PagePick Yourself Up with Anita O'Day – Anita O'DayPithecanthropus Erectus – Charles MingusThe Platters – the PlattersPlayboys – Chet Baker and Art PepperRock 'n' Roll Stage Show – Bill Haley & His CometsRock, Rock, Rock – Various ArtistsSingin' and Swingin' – the Mills BrothersSki Trails – Jo StaffordSongs for Swingin' Lovers! – Frank SinatraSongs I Wish I Had Sung the First Time Around – Bing CrosbySongs of Faith – Aretha FranklinSongs to Grow on for Mother and Child – Woody GuthrieSqueeze Play – John Serry, Sr.That Towering Feeling! – Vic DamoneThe Teenagers Featuring Frankie Lymon – the Teenagers Featuring Frankie LymonTenor Madness – Sonny RollinsThis Is Sinatra! – Frank SinatraThree Ragas – Ravi ShankarToshiko – Her Trio, Her Quartet – Toshiko AkiyoshiThe Toshiko Trio – Toshiko AkiyoshiTragic Songs of Life – the Louvin BrothersThe Unique Thelonious Monk – Thelonious MonkVenezuelan Fiesta – Aldemaro RomeroThe Voices of Patti Page – Patti PageLa Découverte du Brésil, Invocation pour la Défense de la Patrie, Chôros n^o 10 – Heitor Villa-Lobos, Chœrs et Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Française; Maria Kareska, soprano; Chorale des ; direction Heitor Villa-Lobos. 2 LPs. Columbia FCX 602 & 603Whims of Chambers – Paul ChambersThe Wildest! – Louis PrimaWork Time – Sonny RollinsYou Go to My Head – Patti Page

Biggest hit singles

The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the charts of 1956.

#	Artist	Title	Year	Country	Chart entries
1	Doris Day	Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)	1956	US	UK 1 – Jun 1956, Flanders 1 – Dec 1956, Radio Luxembourg sheet music 1 for 5 weeks – Sep 1956, Record Mirror 1 for 6 weeks – Aug 1956, Australia 1 for 8 weeks – Sep 1956, France 1 for 1 week – Jan 1957, Oscar in 1956, US Billboard 2 – Jun 1956, US CashBox 3 – Jun 1956, Italy 4 of 1957, US CashBox 5 of 1956, Your Hit Parade 5 of 1956, Brazil 16 of 1957, US BB 23 of 1956, RYM 23 of 1956, POP 23 of 1956, Europe 27 of the 1950s, UKMIX 34, AFI 48, RIAA 165
2	Fats Domino	Blueberry Hill	1956	US	Belgium 1 – Jun 1976, Grammy Hall of Fame in 1987, US BB 2 of 1957, Holland 2 – Jun 1976, POP 2 of 1957, Europe 3 of the 1950s, US Billboard 4 – Sep 1956, US CashBox 4 – Oct 1956, RYM 5 of 1956, UK 6 – Dec 1956, Flanders 7 – Mar 1957, DDD 8 of 1956, France 10 – May 1976, D.Marsh 17 of 1956, RIAA 18, nuTsie 31 of 1950s, US CashBox 39 of 1956, DMDB 55, Brazil 74 of 1957, Rolling Stone 81, Acclaimed 153, one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 500
3	Elvis Presley	Hound Dog	1956	US	US Billboard 1 – Aug 1956, US CashBox 1 – Jul 1956, Grammy Hall of Fame in 1988, RYM 1 of 1956, DDD 1 of 1956, US 4 X Platinum, UK 2 – Sep 1956, US BB 2 of 1956, POP 2 of 1956, nuTsie 8 of 1950s, D.Marsh 11 of 1956, Flanders 13 – Nov 1956, US CashBox 15 of 1956, UKMIX 15, Brazil 17 of 1956, Rolling Stone 19, DMDB 20, Acclaimed 52, Europe 57 of the 1950s, Scrobulate 60 of oldies, RIAA 68, Italy 72 of 1956, WXPN 692, Global 7 – 1956, Party 281 of 1999
4	Elvis Presley	Heartbreak Hotel	1956	US	US Billboard 1 – Mar 1956, US CashBox 1 – Mar 1956, Grammy Hall of Fame in 1995, D.Marsh 1 of 1956, US 2 X Platinum, UK 2 – May 1956, RYM 2 of 1956, 4 in 2FM list, US CashBox 6 of 1956, Your Hit Parade 6 of 1956, Europe 7 of the 1950s, Scrobulate 13 of rock & roll, DDD 15 of 1956, Acclaimed 19, US BB 22 of 1956, UKMIX 22, POP 22 of 1956, DMDB 26, Brazil 37 of 1956, Rolling Stone 45, nuTsie 45 of 1950s, Italy 49 of 1956, RIAA 87, WXPN 730, one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 500
5	Elvis Presley	Don't Be Cruel	1956	US	US Billboard 1 – Aug 1956, US CashBox 1 – Aug 1956, US CashBox 1 of 1956, Your Hit Parade 1 of 1956, Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002, RYM 1 of 1956, DDD 4 of 1956, D.Marsh 11 of 1956, DMDB 12, Europe 14 of the 1950s, nuTsie 15 of 1950s, Belgium 17 – Sep 1977, US BB 19 of 1956, Brazil 19 of 1956, POP 19 of 1956, UK 24 – Jun 1978, RIAA 68, Acclaimed 74, Italy 92 of 1958, Rolling Stone 197, WXPN 543

US No. 1 hit singles

These singles reached the top of US Billboard magazine's charts in 1956.

First week	Number of weeks	Title	Artist
January 14, 1956	5	"Memories Are Made of This"	Dean Martin
February 18, 1956	1	"Rock and Roll Waltz"	Kay Starr
February 25, 1956	4	"Lisbon Antigua"	Nelson Riddle
March 24, 1956	4	"The Poor People of Paris"	Les Baxter
April 21, 1956	8	"Heartbreak Hotel"	Elvis Presley
June 16, 1956	6	"The Wayward Wind"	Gogi Grant
July 28, 1956	1	"I Want You, I Need You, I Love You"	Elvis Presley
August 4, 1956	2	"My Prayer"	The Platters
August 18, 1956	11	"Don't Be Cruel/Hound Dog"	Elvis Presley
November 3, 1956	5	"Love Me Tender"	Elvis Presley
December 8, 1956	9	"Singing the Blues"	Guy Mitchell

Top R&B and country hits on record

"Blue Suede Shoes" – Carl Perkins
"A Casual Look" – Six Teens
"Cry! Cry! Cry!" – Johnny Cash
"Get Rhythm" – Johnny Cash
"I Walk the Line" – Johnny Cash
"In the Still of the Night" – Five Satins
"It's Too Late" – Chuck Willis
"I've Loved and Lost Again" – Patsy Cline
"Jambalaya (On the Bayou)" – Brenda Lee
"Lucky Lips" – Ruth Brown
"My Pink Cadillac" – Hal Willis
"One Kiss Led to Another" – the Coasters
"Ooby Dooby" – Roy Orbison
"Tra La La" – LaVern Baker
"Treasure of Love" – Clyde McPhatter and the Drifters

Published popular music

"After the Lights Go Down Low" w.m. Alan White & Leroy Lovett
"Ain't Got No Home" w.m. Clarence Henry
"Allegheny Moon" w.m. Al Hoffman & Dick Manning
"Anastasia" w. Paul Francis Webster m. Alfred Newman
"Any Way You Want Me (That's How I Will Be)" w.m. Aaron Schroeder & Cliff Owens
"Around the World" w. Harold Adamson m. Victor Young
"The Banana Boat Song" trad arr. Alan Arkin, Bob Carey & Erik Darling
"Be-Bop-A-Lula" w.m. Tex Davis & Gene Vincent
"Big D" w.m. Frank Loesser
"The Birds and the Bees", Mack David, Harry Warren
"Bo Weevil" w.m. Dave Bartholomew & Antoine "Fats" Domino
"Boppin' the Blues" w.m. Carl Perkins & Howard Griffin
"Born to Be with You" w.m. Don Robertson
"Brown Eyed Handsome Man", Chuck Berry
"The Bus Stop Song" w.m. Ken Darby
"Canadian Sunset" w. Norman Gimbel m. Eddie Heywood
"Chain Gang" w.m. Sol Quasha & Herb Yakus
"Cindy, Oh Cindy" w.m. Bob Barron & Burt Long
"Don't Be Cruel" w.m. Otis Blackwell & Elvis Presley
"Don't Forbid Me" w.m. Charles Singleton
"Eddie My Love", A. Collins, M. Davis, S. Ling
"Fever" w.m. Eddie Cooley & John Davenport
"Fina estampa" w.m. Chabuca Granda
"The Flying Saucer" w. Bill Buchanan & Dickie Goodman
"Fools Fall In Love" w.m. Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller
"Friendly Persuasion" w. Paul Francis Webster m. Dimitri Tiomkin
"The Garden of Eden" w.m. Dennise Haas Norwood
"Get Me to the Church on Time" w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Frederick Loewe. Introduced by Stanley Holloway in the musical My Fair Lady and also performed by Holloway in the 1964 film.
"Glendora" w.m. Ray Stanley
"Glitter and Be Gay" w. Richard Wilbut m. Leonard Bernstein
"The Gnu", Michael Flanders & Donald Swann
"Good Golly, Miss Molly" w.m. John Marascalco & Robert Blackwell
"Goodnight My Love" G. Motola, J. Marascalco
"The Green Door" w. Marvin Moore m. Bob Davie
"Guaglione" w. Nicola "Nisa" Salerno m. Giuseppe Fanciulli
"The Happy Whistler" m. Don Robertson
"Heartbreak Hotel" w.m. Mae Boren Axton, Tommy Durden & Elvis Presley
"Hey! Jealous Lover" w.m. Sammy Cahn, Kay Twomey & Bee Walker
"High Society Calypso" w.m. Cole Porter
"The Hippopotamus", Michael Flanders & Donald Swann
"Honky Tonk" w. Henry Glover m. Bill Doggett, Billy Butler, Shep Shepherd & Clifford Scott
"Hot Diggity" w. m. Al Hoffman & Dick Manning
"A House with Love in It" w. Sylvia Dee m. Sid Lippman
"I Could Have Danced All Night" w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Frederick Loewe. Introduced by Julie Andrews in the musical My Fair Lady. Performed in the 1964 film by Marni Nixon dubbing for Audrey Hepburn.
"I Dreamed" w. Marvin Moore m. Charles Grean
"I Love You, Samantha" w.m. Cole Porter Introduced by Bing Crosby in the film High Society.
"I Put a Spell on You" w.m. Jay Hawkins & Herb Slotkin
"I Walk the Line" w.m. Johnny Cash
"I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" w. Maurice Mysels m. Ira Kosloff
"I Was the One" w.m. Claude Demetrius, Bill Peppers, Hal Blair, Aaron Schroeder
"I'm an Ordinary Man" w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Frederick Loewe Introduced by Rex Harrison in the musical My Fair Lady
"I'm Walkin'" w.m. Antoine "Fats" Domino & Dave Bartholomew
"I'm Walking Backwards For Christmas", Spike Milligan, T. Carbone
"In the Still of the Nite" w.m. Fred Parris
"It Only Hurts For A Little While" w. Mack David m. Fred Spielman
"It's Not For Me To Say" w. Al Stillman m. Robert Allen
"I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face" w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Frederick Loewe. Introduced by Rex Harrison in the musical My Fair Lady.
"Ivory Tower" w.m. Jack Fulton & Lois Steele
"Joey, Joey, Joey" w.m. Frank Loesser
"Jubilation T. Cornpone" w. Johnny Mercer m. Gene de Paul. Introduced by Stubby Kaye in the musical Li'l Abner.
"Juke Box Baby" w. Noel Sherman m. Joe Sherman
"Just In Time" w. Betty Comden & Adolph Green m. Jule Styne. Introduced by Judy Holliday and Sydney Chaplin in the musical Bells Are Ringing
"Knee Deep in the Blues" w.m. Melvin Endsley
"Lay Down Your Arms" w. Paddy Roberts, Ake Gerhard m. Ake Gerhard & Leon Land
"Let the Good Times Roll" w.m. Leonard Lee
"Long Tall Sally" w.m. Enotris Johnson, Richard Penniman & Robert A. Blackwell
"Look Homeward Angel" w.m. Wally Gold
"Love Me Tender" w. Elvis Presley & Vera Matson m. George R. Poulton
"Love Me" w.m. Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller
"Lucky Lips" w.m. Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller
"(You've Got) The Magic Touch" w.m. Buck Ram
"Mama from the Train" w.m. Irving Gordon
"Mama, Teach Me To Dance" w.m. Al Hoffman & Dick Manning
"Mangos" w.m. Sid Wayne & Dee Libbey
"Maria" w. Stephen Sondheim m. Leonard Bernstein
"Marianne" w.m. Terry Gilkyson, Frank Miller & Richard Dehr
"Mary's Boy Child" w.m. Jester Hairston
"Mind If I Make Love to You?" w.m. Cole Porter. Introduced by Frank Sinatra in the film High Society
"Moonlight Gambler" w. Bob Hilliard m. Philip Springer
"More" w. Tom Glazer m. Alex Alstone
"The Most Happy Fella" w.m. Frank Loesser
"Mutual Admiration Society" w. Matt Dubey m. Harold Karr. Introduced by Ethel Merman and Virginia Gibson in the musical Happy Hunting
"My Lucky Charm", Sammy Cahn & Nicholas Brodszky
"Now You Has Jazz" w.m. Cole Porter. Introduced by Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong in the film High Society.
"Oh What a Nite" w.m. Marvin Junior & John Funches
"On the Street Where You Live" w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Frederick Loewe. Introduced by John Michael King in the musical My Fair Lady.
"Pardners" w. Sammy Cahn m. Jimmy Van Heusen. Introduced by Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis in the film of the same name
"The Party's Over" w. Betty Comden & Adolph Green m. Jule Styne. Introduced by Judy Holliday in the musical Bells Are Ringing.
"The Portuguese Washerwomen" m. André Popp & Roger Lucchesi
"Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)" w.m. Jay Livingston & Ray Evans
"The Rain in Spain" w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Frederick Loewe. Introduced by Julie Andrews, Rex Harrison and Robert Coote in the musical My Fair Lady.
"Rockin' the Anvil" m. John Serry Sr. arranged for accordion quartet
"Rock with the Caveman", Steele, Pratt, Lionel Bart, Frank Chacksfield
"Roll Over Beethoven" w.m. Chuck Berry
"A Rose and a Baby Ruth" w.m. John D. Loudermilk
"Round and Round" w.m. Lou Stallman & Joe Shapiro
"St. Therese of the Roses" w.m. Remus Harris and Arthur Strauss
"Singing the Blues" w.m. Melvin Endsley
"Soft Summer Breeze" w. Judy Spencer m. Eddie Heywood
"Somebody Up There Likes Me" w. Sammy Cahn m. Bronislau Kaper
"Somebody Somewhere" w.m. Frank Loesser
"Song for a Summer Night" w.m. Robert Allen
"Standing on the Corner" w.m. Frank Loesser. Introduced by Shorty Long, Alan Gilbert, John Henson and Roy Lazarus in the musical The Most Happy Fella.
"A Sweet Old Fashioned Girl" w.m. Bob Merrill
"A Tear Fell" w.m. Eugene Randolph & Dorian Burton
"Teen-Age Crush" w.m. Audrey Allison & Joe Allison
"Theme from Picnic" w. Steve Allen m. George Duning
"This Could Be the Start of Something" w.m. Steve Allen
"A Thousand Miles Away", J. Shephard, N. H. Miller
"Too Close For Comfort" w. Larry Holofcener & George David Weiss m. Jerry Bock
"Too Much" w.m. Lee Rosenberg & Bernard Weinman
"Transfusion" w.m. Jimmy Drake
"True Love" w.m. Cole Porter. Introduced by Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly in the film High Society.
"Two Different Worlds" w. Sid Wayne m. Al Frisch
"Walk Hand In Hand" w.m. Johnny Cowell
"The Wayward Wind" w.m. Stanley Lebowsky & Herb Newman
"When Sunny Gets Blue" w. Jack Segal m. Marvin Fisher
"Who Needs You" w. Al Stillman m. Robert Allen
"Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" w.m. Cole Porter. Introduced by Celeste Holm and Frank Sinatra in the film High Society.
"With a Little Bit of Luck" w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Frederick Loewe. Introduced by Stanley Holloway in the musical My Fair Lady.
"Wouldn't It Be Loverly" w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Frederick Loewe. Introduced by Julie Andrews in the musical My Fair Lady. Performed in the 1964 film by Marni Nixon dubbing for Audrey Hepburn.
"Written on the Wind" w.m. Sammy Cahn & Victor Young
"Ying Tong Song" w.m. Spike Milligan
"Young Love" w.m. Carole Joyner & Ric Cartey

Classical music

Compositions

Hans Erich Apostel –
*String Quartet No. 2
*Variationen über drei Volkslieder, for orchestra
Malcolm Arnold –
*Concerto No. 2 for Horn and String Orchestra, Op. 58
*A Grand Grand Overture, Op. 57, for organ, three vacuum cleaners, electric floor polisher in E-flat, four rifles, and orchestra
*Song of Praise, Op. 55, for unison voices and piano
*Trio for Violin, Cello, and Piano, Op. 54
Milton Babbitt – Semi-Simple Variations for piano
Jan Bach – String Trio
Samuel Barber – Summer Music for wind quintet
William Bergsma –
*The Fortunate Islands, for string orchestra
*March with Trumpets, for band
Luciano Berio –
*String Quartet
*Variazioni "Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen", for two basset horns and strings
Arthur Bliss –
*Edinburgh Overture, for orchestra
*Seek the Lord, SATB choir and organ
Reginald Smith Brindle – El Polifemo de Oro
Benjamin Britten –
*Antiphon, Op. 56b, for SATB choir and organ
*The Prince of the Pagodas, Op. 57
John Cage –
*27′ 10.554″ for a percussionist
*Music for Piano 53–68
*Music for Piano 69–84
*Radio Music, for 1–8 radios
Niccolò Castiglioni – Symphony No. 1 for soprano and orchestra
Carlos Chávez – Prometheus Bound, cantata, for alto, tenor, baritone, bass, SATB chorus and orchestra
Aaron Copland – Variations on a Shaker Melody for symphonic band
Henry Cowell –
*Ballad, for wind quintet
*Bounce Dance, for piano
*Fifteenth Anniversary, for two unspecified treble instruments
*Lines from the Dead Sea Scrolls, for six-part male choir and orchestra
*Septet, for five madrigal singers, clarinet, and keyboard
*String Quartet No. 5
*Sidney Xmas '56, for violin and piano
*Sway Dance, for piano
*Two-Part Invention, for soprano and alto recorders
*Variations for Orchestra
Luigi Dallapiccola – Cinque canti, for baritone and eight instruments
Mario Davidovsky –
*Three Pieces for Woodwind Quartet
*Noneti for Nine Instruments
Peter Maxwell Davies – Sonata for Clarinet and Piano
Henri Dutilleux – Serenade for La couronne de Marguerite Long
Herbert Eimert – Fünf Stücke, electronic music
Hanns Eisler –
*Horatios Monolog, for voice and piano
*Legende von der Entstehung des Buches Taote King, for voice and piano
*Vier Szenen auf dem Lande, children's or female voices and small orchestra
*Von Wolkenstreifen leicht befangen, for voice and piano
*Zu Brechts Tod "Die Wälder atmen noch", for voice and four horns
Morton Feldman –
*Piano Piece A
*Piano Piece B
*Pieces, for flute, alto flute, horn, trumpet, violin, and cello
*Pieces, for string quartet
Kenneth Gaburo –
*"Ad te domine", for SATB choir
*"Ave Maria", for SATB choir
*Elegy for a Small Orchestra
*"Laetentur caeli", for SATB choir
*String Quartet
*"Terra tremuit", for SATB choir
Blas Galindo – Sinfonia breve, for string orchestra
Roberto Gerhard –
*Lamparilla Overture for orchestra
*Sonata for Cello and Piano
*Songs, for soprano or tenor and guitar
Cecil Armstrong Gibbs – Threnody
Alberto Ginastera – Suite de danzas criollas, for piano
Henryk Górecki –
*Three Songs, Op. 3
*Variations, Op. 4
*Quartettino, Op. 5
*Piano Sonata No. 1, Op. 6
*Songs of Joy and Rhythm, Op. 7
*Sonatina in One Movement, Op. 8
*Lullaby, Op. 9
*From the Bird's Nest, Op. 9a
Camargo Guarnieri –
*Chôro, for clarinet and orchestra
*Chôro, for piano and orchestra
*Sonata No. 4 for violin and piano
*Sonata No. 5 for violin and piano
Carlos Guastavino –
*La primera pregunta , for voice and piano
*Ombú, for voice and piano
*Mi canto, for voice and piano,
Ernesto Halffter – Fantasía galaica
Iain Hamilton – The Bermudas, Op. 33, for baritone, chorus, and orchestra
Karl Amadeus Hartmann – Symphony No. 1 Versuch eines Requiems
Robert Helps – Études, for piano
Hans Werner Henze –
*Concerto per il Marigny, for piano, clarinet, bass clarinet, horn, trumpet, trombone, viola, and cello
*Fünf neapolitanische Lieder, for baritone and chamber orchestra
*Maratona, also a suite for two jazz bands and orchestra
*Sinfonische Etüden, for orchestra
Alfred Hill –
*Symphony No. 6 "Gaelic"
*Symphony No. 7, in E minor
Paul Hindemith –
*"Othmar Sch Sch Sch Schoeck", canon for four voices
*"40, 40, 40, 40, es lebe hoch das Konzerthausleben", canon for three voices
Alan Hovhaness –
*God Who Is in the Fire, Op. 146, for tenor solo, men's choir, and percussion
*Greek Folk Dances, Op. 150, for harmonica and piano
*Hercules, Op. 56, no. 4, for soprano and violin
*Nocturne, Op. 20, no. 2, for flute and harp
*Piano Sonata, Op. 145
*Symphony No. 3, Op. 148
Andrew Imbrie –
*Introit, Gradual and Alleluia for All Saints' Day, chorus and organ
*Little Concerto, for piano four-hands and orchestra
Gordon Jacob –
*Concerto No. 2 for Oboe and Orchestra
*Sextet for Piano and Wind Quintet
*Trio for Violin, Cello, and Piano
*Variations on "Annie Laurie", for two piccolos, two contrabass clarinets, heckelphone, two contrabassoons, serpent, contrabass serpent, subcontrabass tuba, harmonium, and hurdy-gurdy
Dmitri Kabalevsky –
*Romeo and Juliet, suite from the incidental music, Op. 56
*Symphony No. 4, Op. 54
Wojciech Kilar –
*Beskidy Suite for tenor, mixed choir and small orchestra
*Ode Béla Bartók in memoriam, for violin, brass, and percussion
*Symphony No. 2 Sinfonia concertante for piano and symphony orchestra
Gottfried Michael Koenig – Klangfiguren II, electronic music
Ernst Krenek –
*Guten Morgen, Amerika, Op. 159, for chorus
*Spiritus Intelligentiae, Sanctus, Whitsun oratorio for soprano and tenor with electronic music
Lars-Erik Larsson – Concertino for Violin
Bruno Maderna – Notturno, electronic music
Gian-Francesco Malipiero – Dialoghi VII for two pianos and orchestra
Frank Martin –
*Études, for string orchestra
*Ouverture en hommage à Mozart, for orchestra
Bohuslav Martinů –
*Impromptu for Two Pianos
*Legenda z dýmu bramborové, solo voices, chorus, flute, clarinet, horn, accordion, and piano
*Piano Concerto no. 4, Incantation
*Sonatina for Clarinet and Piano
*Sonatina for Trumpet and Piano
Yoritsune Matsudaira – Figure sonores for orchestra
Toshiro Mayuzumi and Makoto Moroi – Seven Variations, electronic music
Peter Mennin –
*Concerto for Cello and Orchestra
*Sonata Concertante for Violin and Piano
Gian Carlo Menotti – The Unicorn, the Gorgon, and the Manticore, or The Three Sundays of a Poet
Olivier Messiaen – Oiseaux exotiques, for piano, eleven winds, and seven percussionists
Robert Moevs – The Past Revisited, three pieces for unaccompanied violin
Frederic Mompou and Xavier Montsalvatge – Perimplinada,
Bo Nilsson – Zwei Stücke, for flute, bass clarinet, piano, and percussion
Luigi Nono – Il canto sospeso, for soprano, contralto, tenor, chorus, and orchestra
Harry Partch – The Bewitched, soprano, chorus, dancers, large instrumental ensemble
Juan Carlos Paz – Música para fagot, cuerdas y batería
Vincent Persichetti
*Little Recorder Book, Op. 70, 1956
*Serenade no. 9, Op. 71, for two recorders
*Symphony No. 6, Op. 69, for Band
Allan Pettersson – Concerto No. 2 for Strings
Daniel Pinkham –
*Concerto for Violin and Orchestra
*Wedding Cantata, for optional solo voices, chorus, and instrumental ensemble
Walter Piston –
*Quintet for Winds
* Serenata for Orchestra
Quincy Porter –
*Nocturne, for piano
*Songs,
Francis Poulenc – Dernier poème
Franz Reizenstein –
*Concerto populare
*Fantasia concertante, op.33, for violin and piano
George Rochberg –
*Dialogues, for clarinet and piano
*Sonata-Fantasia, for piano
Ned Rorem – Symphony No. 2
Miklós Rózsa – Concerto for Violin
Edmund Rubbra –
*Piano Concerto in G, Op. 85
*Improvisation for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 89
Giacinto Scelsi – Quattro Pezzi Su Una Nota Sola, for chamber orchestra of twenty-six musicians
R. Murray Schafer – Minnelieder, for mezzo-soprano and wind quintet
Hermann Schroeder – Concerto No. 1 for Violin and Orchestra
William Schuman –
*Chester Overture, for concert band
*The Lord Has a Child, for SATB choir, or female choir, or solo voice, with piano
*New England Triptych, for orchestra
*Rounds on Famous Words, for SATB choir
John Serry Sr. – Garden In Monaco – for accordion quartet
Roger Sessions – Piano Concerto
Dmitri Shostakovich –
*Ispanskiye pesni, op. 100, mezzo-soprano and piano
*String Quartet No. 6 in G major Op. 101
Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji –
*Passeggiata veneziana sopra la Barcarola di Offenbach, for piano
*Rosario d'arabeschi, for piano
Karlheinz Stockhausen –
*Gesang der Jünglinge, electronic and concrete music
*Klavierstück XI
*Zeitmaße, for five woodwinds
Igor Stravinsky – Choral-Variationen über das Weihnachtslied "Vom Himmel hoch da komm' ich her", arr. from Johann Sebastian Bach, for chorus and orchestra
Sándor Szokolay – Violin Concerto, Op. 13
Virgil Thomson – Homage to Marya Freund and to the Harp, musical portrait for piano
Michael Tippett –
*Bonny at Morn, unison choir and three recorders
*Songs from the British Isles, SATB choir
Vladimir Ussachevsky – Piece for tape recorder
Ralph Vaughan Williams –
*A Choral Flourish, for SATB choir, two trumpets, and organ
*God Bless the Master of This House, for SATB choir
*Preludes on Welsh Folksongs, for organ
*Symphony No. 8
*A Vision of Aeroplanes, motet for SATB choir and organ
Heitor Villa-Lobos – Emperor Jones,
William Walton – Cello Concerto
Mieczysław Weinberg – Piano Sonata No. 5 in A minor, Op. 58
Egon Wellesz –
*Suite for solo clarinet, Op. 74
*Suite for solo oboe, Op. 76
*Symphony No. 5, Op. 75
Charles Wuorinen – Music for Orchestra
Iannis Xenakis – Pithoprakta, for orchestra

Opera

Malcolm Arnold – The Open Window, Op. 56, premiered on December 14, 1956, on BBC TV
Leonard Bernstein – Candide
William Bergsma – The Wife of Martin Guerre
Wolfgang Fortner – Bluthochzeit
Arnold Franchetti – The Game of Cards
Kenneth Gaburo – Blur
Hans Werner Henze – König Hirsch
Ben Johnston – Gertrude, or Would She Be Pleased to Receive It?
Leonard Kastle – The Swing
Frank Martin – Der Sturm
Douglas Moore – The Ballad of Baby Doe
Gino Negri – Vieni qui, Carla
Elie Siegmeister – Miranda and the Dark Young Man
Robert Ward – He Who Gets Slapped, staged under the title ''Pantaloon''

Film

Georges Auric - The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Bebe & Louis Barron - Forbidden Planet
Elmer Bernstein - The Ten Commandments
Bernard Herrmann - The Man Who Knew Too Much
Paul Misraki - And God Created Woman
Alfred Newman - Anastasia
Max Steiner - The Searchers
Dimitri Tiomkin - Friendly Persuasion
Dimitri Tiomkin - Giant
Victor Young - ''Around the World in 80 Days''

[Musical theatre]

At the Drop of a Hat, London revue Starring Michael Flanders and Donald Swann, opened at the London fringe venue New Lindsey Theatre on December 31 and transferred to the Fortune Theatre, West End, on January 24, 1957, for a total run of 808 performancesBells Are Ringing, Broadway production opened at the Shubert Theatre on November 29 and ran for 924 performancesCandide – Broadway production opened at the Martin Beck Theatre on December 1 and ran for 73 performancesFanny, London production opened at the Drury Lane Theatre on November 15 and ran for 347 performancesGrab Me a Gondola London production opened at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith on November 27 and ran for 673 performances

Happy Hunting Broadway production opened at the Majestic Theatre on December 6 and ran for 412 performancesIrma La Douce, Paris production opened at the Théâtre Gramont on November 12Li'l Abner – Broadway production opened at the St. James Theatre on November 15 and ran for 693 performancesThe Most Happy Fella, Broadway production opened at the Imperial Theatre on May 3 and ran for 676 performancesMr. Wonderful, Broadway production opened at the Broadway Theatre on March 22 and ran for 383 performancesMy Fair Lady – Broadway production opened at the Mark Hellinger Theatre on March 15 and ran for 2717 performancesPlain and Fancy, London production opened at the Drury Lane Theatre on January 25 and ran for 217 performances

[Musical film]s

Anything Goes starring Bing Crosby and Donald O'ConnorCarousel starring Gordon MacRae and Shirley JonesThe Court Jester starring Danny Kaye, Glynis Johns, Basil Rathbone and Angela LansburyThe Girl Can't Help It starring Jayne Mansfield and Tom Ewell, and featuring Julie London, Ray Anthony, Fats Domino and The Platters.High Society starring Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong and Celeste HolmIt's a Wonderful World starring George Cole and featuring Ted Heath and Dennis LotisIt's Great to Be Young starring John Mills and Cecil ParkerThe King and I starring Yul Brynner and Deborah KerrPardners starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis and Lori NelsonA Touch of the Sun starring Frankie Howerd, Ruby Murray and Dennis PriceThe Vagabond King starring Kathryn Grayson

Births

January 1 –
*Andy Gill, English post-punk guitarist and record producer
*Martin Plaza, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist
January 3 – Julie Miller, singer
January 4 –
*Alex Cline, American drummer and educator
*Nels Cline, American guitarist and songwriter
January 9 – Waltraud Meier, operatic soprano
January 10 – Shawn Colvin, American singer and songwriter
January 14 – Ben Heppner, Canadian tenor
January 17 – Paul Young, English pop-rock singer and guitarist
January 18 –
*Tom Bailey
*Christoph Prégardien, operatic tenor
January 22 – Steve Riley, American drummer
January 24 – Lounès Matoub, Algerian Berber Kabyle singer
January 25 – Andy Cox
January 29 –
*Irlene Mandrell, American actress and singer
*Amii Stewart, American singer
January 30 – Henry Doktorski, accordionist
January 31 – Johnny Rotten, singer
February 1 – Exene Cervenka, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
February 3 – Lee Ranaldo
February 8 – Dave Meros, American bass player
February 13 – Peter Hook
February 26 – Keisuke Kuwata, Japanese musician
March 2 – John Cowsill
March 5 – Teena Marie, singer
March 7 – Jaime González, Chilean composer
March 9 – Sergej Larin, operatic tenor
March 12 – Steve Harris
March 13 – John Frandsen, Danish composer
March 16 – Vladimír Godár, composer
March 17 – Patti Hansen, American actress and model
April 14 – Barbara Bonney, operatic and concert soprano
April 28 – Jimmy Barnes, Australian musician
May 4 – Sharon Jones, African American soul singer
May 7 – Steve Diggle, English punk musician
May 12 – Greg Phillinganes, American keyboardist
May 18 – Jim Moginie, Australian rock guitarist
May 19 – Martyn Ware, English musician
May 20 – Sheryl Cooper, American dancer, stage performer
May 25 –
*Sugar Minott, reggae singer
*Helen Terry, pop singer and producer
May 29 – La Toya Jackson, American singer
June – Chi-chi Nwanoku, English double bass player
June 3 –
*Lynne Dawson, soprano
*Danny Wilde, American singer and guitarist
June 4 – Reeves Gabrels, American guitarist
June 5 – Kenny G, saxophonist
June 23 – Randy Jackson, American bassist and producer
June 24 – Michael Coleman, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
June 30 – Philip Adrian Wright, English musician
June 30 – Ronald Winans, American musician
July 4 – Jerry Hall, American actress and model
July 12 – Sandi Patty, American gospel singer
July 15 –
*Ian Curtis, vocalist
*Marky Ramone, American drummer and songwriter
*Joe Satriani, famous guitar virtuoso, current guitarist for Chickenfoot
July 20 – Paul Cook
August 1 – Steve Green, American Christian musician
August 3 – Graeme Koehne, composer and music teacher
August 8 –
*Chris Foreman
*David Grant, English singer and vocal coach
August 18 –
*Kelly Willard, American Christian singer
*Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz, American drummer
August 26 – Sally Beamish, composer
August 27 – Glen Matlock, guitarist
August 29 – GG Allin, American singer-songwriter
August 31 – Masashi Tashiro, Japanese singer and television performer
September 4 – Blackie Lawless, American singer-songwriter
September 10 – Johnnie Fingers, Irish musician
September 12 – Leslie Cheung, Hong Kong singer and actor
September 20 – Steve Coleman, saxophonist/bandleader
September 22 – Debby Boone, singer
October 2 – Freddie Jackson, soul singer
October 16 – Marin Alsop, orchestral conductor
October 20 – Ricky Byrd, rock guitarist
October 23 – Dwight Yoakam, singer-songwriter
November 4 – Igor Talkov, Russian singer/songwriter
November 8 –
*Alan Frew, lead singer
*Steven Miller, American record producer
November 11 – Ian Craig Marsh, English musician and composer
November 12 – Stevie Young musician
November 17 – Philip Grange, composer
November 20 – Kool DJ Red Alert, disc jockey
November 22 – Lawrence Gowan, musician-songwriter
November 24 – Jouni Kaipainen, composer
November 25 – Kalle Randalu, Estonian pianist and educator
December 6 –
*Peter Buck, American rock guitarist R.E.M.
*Randy Rhoads, American heavy metal guitarist
December 8 –
*Warren Cuccurullo
*Pierre Pincemaille, French musician
December 13 – Majida El Roumi, singer
December 19
*Masami Akita, Noise musician,
*William Orbit, composer
December 20 – Anita Ward, American singer
December 23 – Dave Murray
December 28 – Nigel Kennedy, crossover violinist

Deaths

January 3 – Alexander Gretchaninov, composer, 91
January 5 – Mistinguett, entertainer, 80
January 9 – Paul de Maleingreau, organist and composer, 68
January 20 – Lucy Isabelle Marsh, soprano and early recording artist, 77
January 27 – Erich Kleiber, conductor, 65
February 2 – Charles Grapewin, vaudeville performer, 86
February 4 – Peder Gram, organist and composer, 74
February 17 – John N. Klohr, composer of band music, 86
February 18 – Gustave Charpentier, composer, 95
February 21 – Edwin Franko Goldman, band composer, 78
February 26 – Elsie Janis, singer, songwriter and actress, 66
March 5 – Erich Itor Kahn, composer, 50
March 11 – Sergei Vasilenko, Russian composer, 83
March 16 – Joseph John Richards, conductor, composer and music teacher, 77
March 28 – Thomas de Hartmann, composer, 70
April 9 – Jack Little, composer, actor, singer and songwriter
April 15 – Kathleen Howard, opera singer, character actress, 71
May 20 – Harry Stewart, comedian, singer, and songwriter, 47
June 11 – Frankie Trumbauer, US saxophonist, bandleader and sometime singer, 55
June 23 – Reinhold Glière, composer, 81
June 25 – Michio Miyagi, blind Japanese composer and inventor of musical instruments, 62
June 26 :
*Clifford Brown, jazz trumpeter, 25
*Richie Powell, jazz pianist, 24
July 18 – Violet Loraine, musical theatre star, 69
August 14
*May Brahe, songwriter, 71
*Jaroslav Řídký, composer, 58
August 31 – Yves Nat, pianist and composer, 65
September 6 – Felix Borowski, composer and music teacher, 84
September 9 – Rupert Hughes, composer, 84
September 21 – Rigoberto López Pérez, composer and poet, 35
September 27 – Gerald Finzi, composer, 55
October 1 – Albert Von Tilzer, songwriter, 78
October 12 – Don Lorenzo Perosi, composer, 83
October 18 – Harry Parry, jazz musician, 44
October 19 – Isham Jones, US bandleader and composer, 62
October 22 – Valda Valkyrien, ballerina, 61
October 26 – Walter Gieseking, pianist, 60
November 1 – Tommy Johnson, blues musician, 60
November 5 – Art Tatum, jazz pianist, 47
November 10 – Victor Young, violinist, conductor and composer, 56
November 24 – Guido Cantelli, conductor, 36
November 26 – Tommy Dorsey, bandleader, 51
November 30
*Ludvík Kuba, artist and musician, 93
*Jean Schwartz, songwriter, 78
December 7 – Henry Fillmore, composer and publisher, 75

Awards

[Eurovision Song Contest]

Eurovision Song Contest 1956