1770 in music

Events

 * The "Concert des Amateurs" is founded by François-Joseph Gossec.
 * Ballet is performed the first time in Oslo by Madame Stuart.
 * Musikalisches Vielerley is published; a collection of pieces from various composers, edited by CPE Bach. (Hamburg: Michael Christian Bock)

Classical music

 * Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach – Fantasia in D minor, H.224
 * Johann Christian Bach
 * 6 Keyboard Concertos, Op. 7
 * 6 Quartets, Op. 8
 * Luigi Boccherini – Cello Concerto in D major, G.479
 * Joseph Haydn – Baryton Trio in A major, Hob.XI:2
 * Gabriele Leone – Six sonatas for mandolin and bass marked with signs according to the new method, Op. 2
 * Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Symphony 11
 * Pietro Nardini – Sonatas for 2 Flutes/Violins and Basso Continuo

Methods and theory writings

 * Johann Caspar Heck – The Art of Playing the Harpsichord
 * John Holden – An Essay Towards a Rational System of Music

Operas
Christoph Willibald Gluck – Paride ed Elena, Wq.39

Published popular music

 * William Billings – The New England Psalm Singer, featuring the song Chester.

Births

 * February 18 – Christian Heinrich Rinck, composer (died 1846)
 * February 20 – Ferdinando Carulli, composer (died 1841)
 * February 22 – Jan Matyas Nepomuk August Vitasek, composer (died 1839)
 * February 26 – Antoine Reicha, composer (died 1836)
 * May 19 – Antoine-Charles Glachant, violinist and composer (died 1851)
 * June 4 – James Hewitt, composer (died 1827)
 * November 8 – Friedrich Witt, composer (died 1836)
 * November 29 – Peter Hänsel, composer
 * December 13 – John Clarke-Whitfeld, composer (died 1836)
 * December 15 or December 16 (baptized on December 17) – Ludwig van Beethoven, composer and pianist (died 1827)
 * December 17 – Johann Friedrich Schubert, composer

Deaths

 * February 26 – Giuseppe Tartini, violinist and composer, 77
 * April 19 – Esprit Antoine Blanchard, composer, 74
 * May 9 – Charles Avison, composer, 61
 * October 1 – Louis-Gabriel Guillemain, composer, 64
 * December 9 – Gottlieb Muffat, organist and composer, 80
 * December 13 – Johann Heinrich Hartmann Bätz, organ-builder, 61