•
January 8 –
Otmar Suitner, Austrian conductor, 87 •
January 22 –
Surendran Reddy, South African pianist and composer, 47 •
January 23 –
Earl Wild, US pianist, 94 •
February 2 –
Nelli Shkolnikova, Russian violinist, 81 •
February 9 –
Jacques Hétu, Canadian composer and music teacher, 71 •
February 11 –
Irina Arkhipova, Russian operatic mezzo-soprano and later contralto, 85 •
February 17 –
Kathryn Grayson, 88, American soprano and film star •
February 18 –
Ariel Ramírez, Argentine composer, 88 •
March 4 –
Amalie Christie, Norwegian classical pianist, author and anthroposophist, 96 •
March 5 –
Philip Langridge, English operatic tenor, 70 •
March 17 –
Ştefan Gheorghiu, Romanian violinist, 83 •
March 23 –
Blanche Thebom, 91, American mezzo-soprano •
April 1 –
Morag Beaton, 83, Scottish-Australian soprano •
April 10 –
William Walker, 78, American baritone and General Director of the Fort Worth Opera •
April 27 –
Morris Pert, Scottish percussionist, pianist and composer, 62 •
April 29 –
Johannes Fritsch, German composer, 68 •
May 5 –
Giulietta Simionato, Italian operatic mezzo-soprano, 99 •
May 17 –
Yvonne Loriod, French pianist, teacher, and composer, 86 •
May 24 –
Anneliese Rothenberger, 83, German soprano •
May 25 –
Siphiwo Ntshebe, South African operatic tenor, 35 (meningitis) •
June 2 –
Giuseppe Taddei, Italian operatic baritone, 93 •
June 5 –
Arne Nordheim, Norwegian composer, 78 •
June 12 –
Fuat Mansurov, Russian conductor, 82 •
June 14 –
Giacinto Prandelli, Italian operatic tenor, 96 •
June 18 –
Kalmen Opperman, American clarinetist, teacher, conductor and instrument maker, 90 •
July 1 –
John Paynter, British composer and music educator, 78 •
July 5 –
Cesare Siepi, 87, Italian bass •
July 12 –
John Douglas, American conductor, voice teacher and accompanist, 54 (melanoma) •
July 14 – Sir
Charles Mackerras, Australian conductor, 84 •
July 15 –
Luo Pinchao, Chinese opera singer, 98 •
June 16 –
Maureen Forrester, 79, Canadian contralto •
July 21 –
Anthony Rolfe Johnson, British tenor, 69 •
August 6 –
Cacilda Borges Barbosa, Brazilian pianist, conductor and composer, 96 •
September 11 –
Herbert Grossman, American conductor, 83 •
September 12 –
Charles Ansbacher, American conductor, 67 •
September 19 –
László Polgár, Hungarian operatic bass, 63 •
September 21 –
Geoffrey Burgon, British film and TV score composer, 69 •
September 28 –
Dolores Wilson, American operatic soprano, 82 •
October 10 •
Alison Stephens, English mandolin player, 40 (cervical cancer) •
Joan Sutherland, Australian operatic soprano, 83 •
October 30 –
Morris Pert, Scottish composer, drummer /percussionist and pianist, 62 •
November 2 –
Rudolf Barshai, Russian violist and composer, 86 •
November 5 –
Shirley Verrett, American mezzo-soprano, 79 •
November 12 –
Henryk Górecki, Polish composer, 74 •
November 30 –
Peter Hofmann, German operatic tenor, 66 •
December 6 –
Hugues Cuénod, Swiss operatic tenor, 108 •
December 7 –
Sergiu Luca, Romanian violinist, 67 •
December 15 –
Hilde Rössel-Majdan, Austrian operatic contralto, 89 •
December 16 –
Richard Adeney, British flautist, 90 ==Major awards==