1841 in music

Events

 * April 13 – The first Dresden opera house in Germany opens with the performance of a work by Carl Maria von Weber.
 * Robert Schumann writes two symphonies: Symphony No. 1 in B-flat major, opus 38 (also called the "Spring" symphony), and Symphony No. 4 in D minor, opus 120. (The D-minor symphony is edited extensively by Schumann in 1851, and thus is given a much later opus number and subsequently referred to as No. 4, although it is actually his second.)
 * Tenor Domenico Donzelli retires from the stage.
 * Nikolay Afanas'yev resigns as concertmaster of the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra in order to conduct the serf orchestra of a wealthy landowner at Vïksa, near St Petersburg.

Popular music

 * August Heinrich Hoffmann – "Deutschlandlied" (to music written in 1797 by Joseph Haydn)

Classical music

 * Adolphe Adam – Giselle (ballet)
 * Hector Berlioz
 * Rêverie et Caprice, H 88
 * Les nuits d'été
 * Frederic Chopin
 * Ballade No. 3
 * Fantaisie in F minor
 * Theodor Kullak – Cavatine de Robert le Diable
 * Friedrich August Kummer – 2 Concert Duos for Violin and Cello, Op. 67
 * Joseph Lanner – Abend-Sterne Walzer, Op.180
 * Henry Lemoine – Études enfantines, Op. 37
 * Jans Christian Lumbye – Döbler's Zauber Galop
 * Felix Mendelssohn
 * Variations sérieuses
 * Antigone, Op. 55
 * Allegro brillant, Op.92
 * Clara Schumann
 * Die gute Nacht, die ich dir sage
 * Lieder, Op. 12
 * Robert Schumann
 * Symphony No.1, Op. 38
 * Overture, Scherzo and Finale, Op. 52
 * Symphony No.4, Op. 120
 * Fernando Sor
 * Le calme, Op. 50
 * Divertissement for 2 Guitars, Op. 62
 * Johann Strauss Sr
 * Amors-Pfeile, Op. 123
 * Elektrische Funken, Op. 125
 * Johannes Verhulst – Symphony in E minor

Opera

 * Daniel Auber – Les diamants de la couronne
 * Michael William Balfe – Keolanthe
 * Gaetano Donizetti – Adelia
 * Fromental Halévy
 * Charles VI
 * La reine de Chypre
 * Franz Lachner – Caterina Cornaro
 * Giovanni Pacini – L'uomo del mistero

Births

 * January 15 – Thorvald Lammers, singer, conductor and composer (died 1922)
 * January 18 – Emmanuel Chabrier, composer (died 1894)
 * January 23 – Sigismund Bachrich, violinist and composer (died 1913)
 * January 28 – Viktor Nessler, composer (died 1890)
 * January 31 – Michael Maybrick, composer and singer, better known as "Stephen Adams" (died 1913)
 * February 10 – Sir Walter Parratt, organist and composer (died 1924)
 * February 19
 * Elfrida Andrée, organist, conductor and composer (died 1929)
 * Felipe Pedrell, composer (died 1922)
 * March 1 – Romualdo Marenco, composer for ballet (died 1907)
 * May 15 – Giovanni Bolzoni, violinist and composer (died 1919)
 * May 21 – Joseph Parry, composer (died 1903)
 * May 28 – Giovanni Sgambati, Italian composer, pianist, and conductor
 * June 16 – David Popper, cellist (died 1913)
 * July 9 – Carl Christian Lumbye, Danish composer, son of Hans Christian Lumbye
 * July 11 – Daniël de Lange, composer (died 1918)
 * July 18 – Hedvig Willman, Swedish opera singer (died 1887)
 * September 8 – Antonín Dvořák, composer (died 1904)
 * September 26 – Signor Brocolini, opera singer (died 1906)
 * October 11 – Friedrich Hegar, violinist, conductor and composer (died 1927)
 * November 4 – Karl Tausig, pianist and composer (died 1871)
 * November 29 – Joe Wilson, singer and songwriter (died 1875)
 * December 14 – Louise Héritte-Viardot, singer (died 1918)

Deaths

 * January 25 – Maria Anna Thekla Mozart, "Marianne", cousin and correspondent of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (born 1758)
 * February 14 – Antun Sorkočević, diplomat, writer and composer (born 1775)
 * February 17 – Ferdinando Carulli, composer for guitar (born 1770)
 * May 18 – John Thomson, composer (born 1805)
 * June 12 – Konstantinos Nikolopoulos, archaeologist and composer (born 1786)
 * July 3 – Rosemond Mountain, actress and singer (born 1780s?)
 * August 13 – Bernhard Romberg, cellist and composer (born 1767)
 * August 24
 * Friedrich Curschmann, songwriter and singer (born 1805)
 * Theodore Hook, writer and composer (born 1788)
 * August 27 – Ignaz von Seyfried, conductor and composer (born 1776)
 * September 15 – Alessandro Rolla, violinist, composer and music teacher (born 1757)
 * September 16 – Thomas John Dibdin, songwriter (born 1771)
 * October 16 – Domenico Barbaia, impresario (born 1778)
 * October 28 – Francesco Morlacchi, composer (born 1784)
 * December 22 – Daniil Kashin, pianist, conductor and composer (born 1769)
 * date unknown – Justina Casagli, opera singer (born 1794) (suicide)