July 2 - On this day in 1714, composer Christoph Willibald Gluck was born in Erasbach (Germany). Also on this day in 1819, composer Charles-Louis Hanon was born in Renescure, France. And on this day in 2007, "America's Queen of Opera" Beverly Sills died due to lung cancer.
July 3, 1854 - Composer Leoš Janácek was born in Hukvaldy, Moravia, Austrian Empire. He is primarily known for his operas; he also wrote orchestral pieces, choral works, chamber music, piano music and song cycles.
July 4, 1623 - William Byrd died in Stondon Massey, Essex. He was a leading English composer of the late Renaissance who composed church, secular, consort and keyboard music.
July 5, 1966 - Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp opened in Twin Lakes, Michigan. This camp, which was founded by Fritz Stansell, offers art, dance, and theater programs.
July 6 - On this day in 1865, Emile Jaques-Dalcroze was born in Vienna, Austria. The Dalcroze method connects music, movement, mind, and body. Also on this day in 1971, Louis Armstrong died in Queens, New York; he died in his sleep. He was a musician and composer of jazz music, known as one of the founding fathers of jazz.
July 7 - On this day in 1860, composer Gustav Mahler was born in Kaliste (Kalischt), Bohemia (Czech Republic). He is known for his songs, cantatas and symphonies which he wrote in several keys. Also on this day in 1911, Gian Carlo Menotti was born in Cadegliano, Italy. He was a composer, librettist and stage director who established the Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy.
July 8, 1882 - Percy Grainger was born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. He was a composer, conductor, pianist and avid collector of folk music. Much of his compositions were influenced by English folk music.
July 9 - On this day in 1955, the song "Rock Around The Clock" by Bill Haley and the Comets was on top of the charts. Also on this day in 1983, the song "Every Breath You Take" by the Police topped the charts.
July 10, 1895 - Carl Orff was born in Munich, Germany. He was a composer who developed a method of teaching children about the elements of music. The Orff method or Orff approach is still widely used in many schools to this day.
July 11 - On this day in 1798, the U.S. Marine Band, also known as "The President's Own," was founded. Also on this day in 1937, George Gershwin died in Hollywood, California, during a brain operation. He was one of the prominent composers and songwriters of the 20th century.
July 12, 1895 - Oscar Hammerstein II was born in New York City. He is best known for his collaborations with Richard Rodgers and Jerome Kern. The Rodgers & Hammerstein tandem resulted in several successful works including Oklahoma! and South Pacific which both won a Pulitzer Prize. His first collaboration with Kern was the 1925 musical Sunny. This was followed by their successful musical, Show Boat, an adaptation of a novel by Edna Ferber.
July 13, 1951 - Arnold Schoenberg died in Los Angeles. The "12-tone System" is a term mainly attributed to Schoenberg; he wanted to eliminate the tonal center and developed a technique wherein all the 12 notes of the octave are of equal importance.
July 14, 1908 - William Mason died in New York City. He was a teacher, composer, piano pedagogue and piano virtuoso. He was the third son of music educator Lowell Mason. His brother, Henry, was one of the founders of the Mason & Hamlin Company.
July 15, 1959 - Ernest Bloch died in Portland, Oregon. He was a composer and professor during the early part of the 20th century. He also became music director of the Cleveland Institute of Music and the San Francisco Conservatory.
Special Celebrations in July
National Dance Day - July 28