See also: 1787 in music, other events of 1788, 1789 in music, list of years in music.

Events

• Antonio Salieri appointed Imperial Royal Kapellmeister by Emperor Joseph II of Austria.
• Domenico Cimarosa is invited to St Petersburg by the Empress Catherine II of Russia.

Opera

• "L'Amor Contrastato" - Giovanni Paisiello
• "Axur, Re d´Ormus" by Antonio Salieri, libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte after Beaumarchais
• "Ifigenia in Aulide" - Luigi Cherubini
• "Il Talismano" by Antonio Salieri, libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte after Goldoni

Classical music

• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Symphony no 39

Births

• January 13 - Carl Ludwig Cornelius Westenholz , composer
• February 10 - Johann Peter Pixis , composer
• February 25 - Mateo Ferrer , composer
• April 12 - Johann Erik Nordblom , composer
• August 20 - Jose Bernardo Alcedo, composer
• October 11 - Simon Sechter, composer
• October 20 - Philip Knapton , composer
• November 11 - Michal Wielhorski , composer
• December 18 - Camille Pleyel

Deaths

• January 5 - Johann Schneider
• January 15 - Gaetano Latilla , composer
• January 17 - Alessio Prati , composer
• January 31 - Francesco Zannetti , composer
• February 22 - Franz Joseph Oehlschlagel , composer
• March 1 - Orazio Mei , composer
• March 29 - Charles Wesley
• April 12 - Carl Joseph Toeschi and Carlo Antonio Campioni, composers
• April 15 - Giuseppe Bonno, composer
• June 28 - Johann Christoph Vogel , composer
• July 14 - Johann Gottfried Muthel
• September 14 - Theodore-Jean Tarade , composer
• September 26 - François Bainville , composer
• October 18 - Jean-Guillain Cardon , composer
• November 1 - Johann Samuel Schroeter , composer
• November 15 - Peregrinus Pogl
• December 14 - Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach
• December 12 - Joseph Gibbs
• December 25 - John Logan, conductor