Born Today! 21.01.2024

Jiří Ignác Línek (21 January 1725 – 30 December 1791) was a Czech late-Baroque composer and pedagogue, said to have composed over 300 works in his lifetime. He is especially noted for his Christmas pastorals and for his initiation of a literary brotherhood within Bohemia.

Vincent Houška or Hauschka (21 January 1766 in Mies, Bohemia – 1840 in Vienna) was a composer and musician who played mandolin and cello. He was good enough a musician that he was able to tour Europe and give concerts.Hauska was a son of the schoolmaster of Mies, and when eight years of age moved with his parents to Prague, where his father had been appointed to a school. Hauschka studied music in this city, and took up the mandolin as his first instrument. He also entered the cathedral as a chorister and later received systematic instruction from Josef Seeger and Ferdinand Laube, "the father of the violin virtuoso." Hauschka devoted himself to the cello and mandolin and made remarkable progress on both, and a few years afterwards continued the cello studies under Christ, one of the most celebrated Bohemian virtuosi.At sixteen years of age he entered the orchestra of the Count of Thun and remained in his service till the death of the Count two years later, when the orchestra was disbanded. He then made a concert tour through Austria and Germany, visiting Karlsbad, Dresden and other important cities, where his performances on both instruments were highly spoken of. Towards the end of 1792 he took up his residence in Vienna, where his public performances attracted considerable notice. After he had resided in Vienna for several years, he gave up on music as a profession and accepted a position in the government. After this appointment his public appearances were rare, but he still took an active interest in the art. He was one of the founders of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, Vienna, and also the Concert Spirituel. He continued to write for his instruments; but the majority of his compositions were not published, the principal manuscripts being nocturnes and quintets for mandolin, alto and violoncello, as well as concertos for cello, and church compositions.

Vincent Houška or Hauschka (21 January 1766 in Mies, Bohemia – 1840 in Vienna) was a composer and musician who played mandolin and cello. He was good enough a musician that he was able to tour Europe and give concerts.Hauska was a son of the schoolmaster of Mies, and when eight years of age moved with his parents to Prague, where his father had been appointed to a school. Hauschka studied music in this city, and took up the mandolin as his first instrument. He also entered the cathedral as a chorister and later received systematic instruction from Josef Seeger and Ferdinand Laube, "the father of the violin virtuoso." Hauschka devoted himself to the cello and mandolin and made remarkable progress on both, and a few years afterwards continued the cello studies under Christ, one of the most celebrated Bohemian virtuosi.At sixteen years of age he entered the orchestra of the Count of Thun and remained in his service till the death of the Count two years later, when the orchestra was disbanded. He then made a concert tour through Austria and Germany, visiting Karlsbad, Dresden and other important cities, where his performances on both instruments were highly spoken of. Towards the end of 1792 he took up his residence in Vienna, where his public performances attracted considerable notice. After he had resided in Vienna for several years, he gave up on music as a profession and accepted a position in the government. After this appointment his public appearances were rare, but he still took an active interest in the art. He was one of the founders of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, Vienna, and also the Concert Spirituel. He continued to write for his instruments; but the majority of his compositions were not published, the principal manuscripts being nocturnes and quintets for mandolin, alto and violoncello, as well as concertos for cello, and church compositions.

Vincent Houška or Hauschka (21 January 1766 in Mies, Bohemia – 1840 in Vienna) was a composer and musician who played mandolin and cello. He was good enough a musician that he was able to tour Europe and give concerts.Hauska was a son of the schoolmaster of Mies, and when eight years of age moved with his parents to Prague, where his father had been appointed to a school. Hauschka studied music in this city, and took up the mandolin as his first instrument. He also entered the cathedral as a chorister and later received systematic instruction from Josef Seeger and Ferdinand Laube, "the father of the violin virtuoso." Hauschka devoted himself to the cello and mandolin and made remarkable progress on both, and a few years afterwards continued the cello studies under Christ, one of the most celebrated Bohemian virtuosi.At sixteen years of age he entered the orchestra of the Count of Thun and remained in his service till the death of the Count two years later, when the orchestra was disbanded. He then made a concert tour through Austria and Germany, visiting Karlsbad, Dresden and other important cities, where his performances on both instruments were highly spoken of. Towards the end of 1792 he took up his residence in Vienna, where his public performances attracted considerable notice. After he had resided in Vienna for several years, he gave up on music as a profession and accepted a position in the government. After this appointment his public appearances were rare, but he still took an active interest in the art. He was one of the founders of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, Vienna, and also the Concert Spirituel. He continued to write for his instruments; but the majority of his compositions were not published, the principal manuscripts being nocturnes and quintets for mandolin, alto and violoncello, as well as concertos for cello, and church compositions.

Manuel del Pópulo Vicente Rodriguez García (also known as Manuel García the Senior; 21 January 1775 – 10 June 1832) was a Spanish opera singer, composer, impresario, and singing teacher.

Eduard Tauwitz (21 January 1812 – 26 July 1894) was a German composer and a native of Glatz, Prussian Silesia.While studying law at the University of Breslau, he devoted himself to music under the direction of organist Franz Wolf and music director Johann Theodor Mosewius and took charge of the students' choral society (Akademischer Gesangverein). Having decided not to follow a juridical career, he left Breslau in 1837 to direct the orchestra of a theater in Vilnius. In 1840 he went in the same capacity to Riga, but in 1843 returned to Breslau and two years later accepted a similar position in Prague, where he also taught music. After the death of Leopold Zvonař, he succeeded him as the director of the Žofín Academy, a music school for women.Tauwitz wrote over a thousand compositions, and the following songs are worthy of special mention: Zwölf Soldatenlieder für Vier- und Fünfstimmigen Männergesang and Zweiundzwanzig Banner- und Schwertlieder für Vierstimmigen Männergesang. He also composed three operettas: Schmolke und Bakel, Bradamante and Trilby.Tauwitz died on 26 July 1894 in Prague, Austria-Hungary, and was buried in the Olšany Cemetery under a white marble tombstone designed by sculptor Ignác Weinrich.

Thomas Attwood Walmisley (21 January 1814 – 17 January 1856) was an English composer and organist.

Salvatore Pappalardo (1817–1884) was an Italian composer and conductor. Born in Catania, Pappalardo began his studies in his home city before entering the Palermo Conservatory where he studied under Pietro Raimondi. He worked as a music teacher and was a conductor at the opera house in Catania until he moved to Naples in 1845 when he was made the court composer for Prince Leopold, Count of Syracuse. He later worked as a teacher of music theory and composition in Naples. He died in Naples in 1884. Pappalardo's work as a composer was mainly directed towards composing operas and other music for the theatre. He composed eight operas: Francesca da Rimini (1844), Il corsaro (Naples, 1846), La figlia del Doge (Catania, 1855), L'atrabiliare (Naples, 1856), Mirinda (Naples, 1860), Gustavo Wasa (Naples, 1865), Le diavolesse (Naples, 1878), and Le due ambasciatrici (never performed). He also composed a significant amount of church music. His most successful and innovative music however, was his chamber music; particularly his collection of art songs for voice and piano and a collection of string quartets and quintets. His chamber music was played throughout Italy and Germany.

Alexandre Édouard Goria (21 January 1823 – 6 July 1860) was a French virtuoso pianist and composer recognised among amateurs enthusiasts for his numerous salon pieces of different styles, which enjoyed great success at their time. The number of fancy arrangements and transcriptions by Goria of selected motifs from great operas proves the composer's great facility and the popularity of his name, which had commercial value. He was a favorite artist of lovers of brilliant music, concert and salon music.

Georg Hellmesberger Jr. (27 January 1830 – 12 November 1852) was an Austrian violinist and composer.

Philip Napier Miles JP DLitt h.c. (Bristol) (21 January 1865 – 19 July 1935) was a prominent and wealthy citizen of Bristol, UK, who left his mark on the city, especially on what are now its western suburbs, through his musical and organisational abilities and through good works of various kinds. He was the only son of Philip William Skynner Miles (1816–1881), a major promoter and developer of the docks at Avonmouth, who was the eldest son of Philip John Miles (1773–1845) by his second marriage to Clarissa Peach (1790–1868), and Pamela Adelaide Napier, daughter of the soldier (distinguished in the Peninsular War) and military historian General Sir William Francis Patrick Napier. He was therefore half-nephew of Sir William Miles, 1st Baronet, half-cousin of Sir Philip John William Miles, 2nd Baronet, both Conservative politicians, and cousin of the fashionable portrait painter Frank Miles, gentleman cricketer Robert Miles and Mount Everest explorer, General The Hon Charles Granville Bruce. He was educated at Harrow School and Oriel College, Oxford, and was selected as High Sheriff of Gloucestershire for 1916–17.

Carlo Adolfo Cantù (21 January 1875, Turin -1942) was an Italian composer. He studied music composition at the Turin Conservatory with Giovanni Bolzoni and is best known for his opera Ettore Fieramosca which premiered at the Teatro Regio in Turin in 1921.

Nikolai Semyonovich Golovanov (Russian: Николай Семёнович Голованов) ([o.s. 9] 21 January 1891 – 28 August 1953), PAU, was a Soviet conductor and composer, who was married to the soprano Antonina Nezhdanova. He conducted the premiere performances of a number of works, among them Nikolai Myaskovsky's Sixth Symphony in May 1924.Golovanov held some of the highest musical positions in the USSR, including an extensive association with the Bolshoi Opera. In her autobiography, Galina Vishnevskaya terms him the theater's chief conductor, and tells of his dismissal from the Bolshoi and his death - which she attributed to the humiliation of the experience of losing this position. It has been reported that Golovanov's firing was the result of Stalin's displeasure at Golovanov's having tried to use a Jewish singer, Mark Reizen, in the title role of Tsar Boris Godunov in his recording of Mussorgsky's opera. Golovanov actually did record the opera with Reizen as Boris, but later remade Reizen's part with another Boris, Alexander Pirogov. Golovanov's recorded output was substantial and quite individual in interpretive approach. In his discography we find all but one of the Liszt tone poems, the complete Scriabin symphonies and Piano Concerto, Tchaikovsky's First and Sixth symphonies, as well as shorter works, Beethoven's First Symphony, Violin Concerto and Triple Concerto, Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade and his operas Sadko and Christmas Eve, Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov and Pictures at an Exhibition, Rachmaninoff's Second and Third symphonies, the opera Aleko and other compositions, Glazunov's Fifth, Sixth and Seventh symphonies, and scores by Grieg, Mozart and others. Based upon the evidence of his recordings, Golovanov's characteristic performance mode was full-blooded and nearly vehement in tone, with a powerful, almost overloaded sense of sonority, and extreme flexibility in matters of tempo, phrasing and dynamics. In addition to audio recordings by Golovanov, there is a film of Golovanov conducting the USSR State Symphony Orchestra in a performance of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture. As was the practice in Soviet times, the Tsarist anthem was replaced with the chorus "Glory, Glory to you, holy Russia!" from Mikhail Glinka's A Life for the Tsar. The film does not feature synchronous sound, but has short segments of Golovanov conducting. Golovanov was also a composer; his works include the opera "Princess Yurata", a symphony and other orchestral works as well as choral music.

Alexander Nikolayevich Tcherepnin (Russian: Алекса́ндр Никола́евич Черепни́н, romanized: Aleksandr Nikolayevich Cherepnin; 21 January 1899 – 29 September 1977) was a Russian-born composer and pianist. His father, Nikolai Tcherepnin (pupil of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov), and his sons, Serge Tcherepnin and Ivan Tcherepnin, as well as two of his grandsons (sons of Ivan), Sergei and Stefan, were composers. His son Serge was involved in the earliest development of electronic music and instruments. His mother was a member of the artistic Benois family, a niece of Alexandre Benois.

Shafiga Akhundova (Azerbaijani: Şəfiqə Axundova; 21 January 1924 – 26 July 2013) was a prominent Azerbaijani composer, the first professional female author of an opera in the East and People’s Artist of Azerbaijan. Akhundova was born into a family of an eminent cultural figure Gulam Akhundov in Shaki in 1924. Gulam Bagir oglu Akhundov, who was a public servant and intellectual of his time, worked as the first secretary of Shaki between 1917 and 1920, while her mother was a housewife.In 1943–1944, Shafiga got her primary education at Baku Musical School named after Asaf Zeynally, where she was taught by Uzeyir Hajibeyov. Then, in 1956, she continued her education at Azerbaijan State Conservatoire named after Uzeyir Hajibeyov, where she graduated from the class of B. Zeydman. In 1998, Shafiga Akhundova has conferred a title of People’s Artist of Azerbaijan and in 2004 she was awarded the Shohrat Order.

Franco Evangelisti (January 21, 1926 – January 28, 1980) was an Italian composer specifically interested in the scientific theories behind sound.

Gian Paolo Chiti (born 21 January 1939 in Rome) is an Italian composer and pianist. After beginning his studies in piano, violin and composition at the age of four, he made a series of appearances as a child prodigy before entering the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, Italy's most important music school, at the age of ten. His principal teachers include Carlo Zecchi, Arturo Bonucci (1894-1964) and Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (private and masterclass studies). Chiti was a prizewinner in the Treviso and Busoni competitions.Gian Paolo Chiti began a dual career as a concert pianist, often in the company of his wife, the noted mezzo-soprano and president and founder of the Adkins-Chiti Donne in Musica foundation Patricia Adkins Chiti and as a composer. He has written works for almost every conceivable ensemble as well as for electronic media. His catalogue also includes a large number of film and television scores. His compositions have been programmed both in Italy and abroad at such festivals as the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Florence, Venice Biennale, Edinburgh Festival, Lutoslawski Festival, Cantiere Internazionale d'Arte of Montepulciano, Nuova Consonanza, Incontri Musicali Romani, Chopin Festival in Poland, Sacred Music Festival in Chartres, France, Teatro Nacional di Caraccas in Venezuela and the Public Season at the Moscow Conservatory.Chiti has held the post of Head of the Composition department of the Conservatorio of Santa Cecilia in Rome since 1984. More than a generation of important young Italian musicians have been trained through his teaching. In addition, he is also a member of the Italian National committee for Dance as well as on the faculty of several universities.

Fiona Joy Hawkins, known professionally as Fiona Joy, is an Australian vocalist and pianist. Her collaborations have included five albums produced by Will Ackerman. Her influences include George Winston, Michael Nyman, Chopin, and Mendelssohn.The Sydney Morning Herald said of her in 2007 that she "ranks among the world's best in her genre, but struggles for recognition in her home country" of Australia, largely due to the lack of recognition given to the genre by Australian music critics until she won the 2006 ZMR award. Fiona Joy is the first Australian to place in the top ten on the ZMR chart and the first to win a ZMR award.