1766 in music

List of years in music (table)
... 1756 ^. 1757 ^. 1758 ^. 1759 ^. 1760 ^. 1761 ^. 1762 ... 1763 1764 1765 -1766- 1767 1768 1769 ... 1770 ^. 1771 ^. 1772 ^. 1773 ^. 1774 ^. 1775 ^. 1776 ...
Art ^. Archaeology ^. Architecture ^. Literature ^. Music ^. Philosophy ^. Science +...

Events

Joseph Haydn becomes Kapellmeister to the Esterházys. The orchestra is increased to 22 players.
Niccolò Piccinni is invited to Paris by Queen Marie Antoinette.
Dom Bédos de Celles publishes his influential L'art du facteur d'orgues.
New Drottningholm Palace Theatre in Stockholm is completed as an opera house.

Egidio Romualdo Duni – La clochette
Joseph Haydn – La Canterina (libretto by an unknown, based on material by Carlo Goldoni)
Johann Adam Hiller – Der lustige Schuster

Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach – Pieces (40) for Keyboard, Wq 117: no 2, Solfeggio in C minor, H 220
Capel Bond – Six Concertos in Seven Parts
Joseph Haydn – Great Mass in E flat
Michael Haydn – Symphony in B flat major
Niccolò Jommelli – Missa Solemne

February 24 – Samuel Wesley, organist and composer (died 1837)
March 28 – Joseph Weigl, composer and conductor (died 1820)
July 18 – Johann Anton Friedrich Fleischmann, composer (died 1798)
July 21 – Carolina, Baroness Nairne, Scottish songwriter (died 1845)
August 1 – Ignace Antoine Ladurner, pianist and composer (died 1839)
August 22 – Joseph-Denis Doche, composer (died 1825)
October 9 – Bedřich Diviš Weber, composer and founding principal of the Prague Conservatory (died 1842)
November 16 – Rodolphe Kreutzer, violinist and composer (died 1831)
November 20 – John Wall Callcott, composer (died 1821)

January 30 – Susannah Maria Arne, singer (born 1714)
February 26 – August Bernhard Valentin Herbing, composer (born 1735)
March 3 – Gregor Werner, composer and leader of Prince Paul Esterházy's orchestra (born 1693)
March 20 - Giovanni Battista Pescetti, organist and composer (born c. 1704)
March 25 – Johannes Ritschel, composer (born 1739)
April - François Étienne Blanchet II, harpsichord maker (born 1730)
October 7 – André Chéron, composer (born 1695)
November 9 – Unico Wilhelm van Wassenaer, composer (born 1692)
December – Carlo Tessarini, violinist and composer (born c. 1690)
date unknown - Alvise Giusti, librettist (born 1709)