1771 in music

• March 28 – Mozart returns to Salzburg from a tour of Italy but is back in Milan for the premiere of his opera Ascanio in Alba on October 17.^[1]
• Foundation of the Royal Theatre Ballet School in Copenhagen, Denmark.^[2]
• The Chevalier de Saint-Georges is appointed maestro of the Concert des Amateurs in Paris.^[3]
• Probable^[4] – Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf becomes Hoffkomponist (court composer) to Philipp Gotthard von Schaffgotsch, Prince-Bishop of Breslau, at château Jánský Vrch (Johannesberg) in Javorník.

• Carl Friedrich Abel
  • 6 Trio Sonatas, WK 86-91 Op. 9
  • 6 Easy Sonatas, WK 141–146
• Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
  • 6 Harpsichord Concertos, Wq.43
  • Ich will dem Herrn lobsingen
• Luigi Boccherini
  • Cello Sonata in A major, G.4
  • 6 String Quintets, G.265-270, Op. 10
  • 6 String Quintets Op. 11 (with the famous minuet, No. 5 (G 275))
  • Symphony in D major, Op. 12 no 1/G 503
  • Symphony in E-flat major, Op. 12 no 2/G 504
  • Symphony in C major, Op. 12 no 3/G 505
• FrantiÅ¡ek Xaver Brixi – Pastorella in C major for organ
• Muzio Clementi – 6 Piano Sonatas, Op. 1
• Ernst Eichner
  • 3 Harpsichord Trios, Op. 3
  • Harp Concerto in D major, Op. 9
• Baldassare Galuppi
  • Confitebor tibi Domine in G major
  • Jephte et Helcana (oratorio)
• Tommaso Giordani – 6 Harpsichord Quintets, Op. 1
• Joseph Haydn
  • Baryton Trio in A major, Hob.XI:7
  • Baryton Trio in A major, Hob.XI:9
  • Baryton Trio in B minor, Hob.XI:96
  • Piano Sonata in C minor Hob. XVI:20
  • Keyboard Concerto in C major, Hob.XVIII:10
  • Symphony No. 42
  • Symphony No. 43
• James Hook – 6 Keyboard Concertos, Op. 1
• Thomas Linley Jr – Violin Concerto in F major
• Leopold Mozart – Missa brevis in C major (formerly attributed to W.A. Mozart as K. 115)
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
  • Aria for soprano and orchestra, “Non curo l’affetto”, K. 74b
  • Symphony No. 12
  • Symphony No. 13
  • Symphony No. 14
  • Symphony in F, “No. 42”, K. 75/75
  • Symphony No. 46 in C major, K.96/111b
  • Symphony No. 50 in D major, K.161/141a
  • Divertimento No. 1 in E-flat major, K. 113
  • Regina coeli for soprano, chorus and orchestra in C major, K. 108/74d
  • Litaniae Lauretanae in B-flat major, K. 109/74e
  • Betulia liberata, oratorio K. 118/74c
• Johann Gottfried Müthel – Keyboard Duet in E-flat major
• Josef Mysliveček – Veni sponsa Christi
• Johann Gottfried Wilhelm Palschau – Harpsichord Concertos No.1-2
• Niccolo Piccinni – Le finte gemelle, intermezzo premiered Jan. 2 in Rome
• Johann Baptist Wanhal
  • 6 String Quartets, Op. 6
  • 6 Oboe Quartets, Op. 7

• Pasquale Anfossi
  • Lucio Papirio
  • Quinto Fabio
  • I visionari
• Thomas Arne – The Fairy Prince
• André Grétry
  • L'ami de la maison
  • Zémire et Azor
• Johann Adolph Hasse – Il Ruggiero
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Ascanio in Alba
• Josef Mysliveček – Il Gran Tamerlano
• Giovanni Paisiello
  • Annibale in Torino
  • Artaserse, R.1.30
  • Demetrio, R.1.25
  • I scherzi di amore e di fortuna, R.1.28
• Antonio Salieri – Armida

• Anselm Bayly – A Practical Treatise on Singing and Playing
• Anton Bemetzrieder – Leçons de clavecin, et principes d’harmonie
• Charles Burney – The Present State of Music in France and Italy
• Johann Kirnberger – Die Kunst des reinen Satzes in der Musik

• February 9 – Daniel Belknap, composer (d. 1815)
• February 24 – Johann Baptist Cramer, pianist (d. 1858)
• March 19 – Frederik Høegh-Guldberg [da], poet and librettist (died 1852)
• March 21 – Thomas John Dibdin, dramatist and songwriter (d. 1841)
• May 13 – Siegfried August Mahlmann, librettist and poet (died 1826)
• June 1 – Ferdinando Paër, Italian composer (died 1839)
• August 15 – Walter Scott, librettist and novelist (died 1832)
• August 27 – Friedrich Methfessel, composer (died 1807)
• September 17 – Johann August Apel, librettist (d. 1816)
• October 1 – Pierre Baillot, violinist and composer (d. 1842)
• October 3 – Auguste Creuzé de Lesser, librettist and politician (died 1839)
• October 9 – Charles-Augustin Bassompierre (Sewrin), librettist (died 1853)
• October 29 – Anna Leonore König, member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music (d. 1854)
• November 1 – Stephan Schütze [de], librettist (died 1839)
• November 4 – James Montgomery, librettist and editor (died 1854)
• November 17 – Jonathan Huntington, composer (d. 1838)
• December 26 – Heinrich Joseph von Collin, librettist and poet (died 1811)

date unknown:

• Marie Antoinette Petersén, singer and member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music (d. 1855)
• Margareta Sofia Lagerqvist, opera singer (d. 1800)

• January 23 – Martin Berteau, composer and musician (born 1691)^[5]
• March 11 – Christoph Birkmann, hymnist and pupil of JS Bach (born 1703)
• March 30 – Anton Joseph Hampel, horn player (b. 1710)^[6]
• May 20 – Christopher Smart, poet and hymn-writer (b. 1722; possible liver failure)^[7]
• May 29 – Johann Adolph Hass, clavichord and harpsichord maker (b. 1713)
• July 30 – Thomas Gray, librettist and poet (born 1716)
• August 19 – Daniel Schiebeler, librettist and hymnist (born 1741)
• October – René de Galard de Béarn, Marquis de Brassac, composer (born 1699)
• October 14 – FrantiÅ¡ek Brixi, composer (b. 1732)
• October 28 – Johann Gottlieb Graun, composer (b. 1703)
• November 4 – Pierre Nicolas Brunet, librettist and playwright (born 1733)
• November 18 – Giuseppe de Majo, Italian composer (born 1697)
• date unknown – Andrea Soldi, copyist and portraitist (born 1703)