Jean Sibelius

Finnish composer, the best-known symphonic composer of Scandinavia and one of the most original musical figures of the 20th century. He wrote works for orchestra and stage. Some of his more popular music included the Karelia Suite and the Valse triste, both composed for the stage; seven symphonies; concertos and chamber music, and vocal and choral music. After 1897, he worked under the auspices of a government grant in 1897. Sibelius received his early training in Helsinki and later Berlin, primarily on the violin. He gave up law studies to enter the Helsinki Conservatory, then abandoned the violin to devote full time to composing. He broadened his background considerably when he moved to Berlin. While there, he was deeply affected by the "Aino Symphony," written by his countryman Robert Kajanus. His first major work based on "The Kalevala," the Kullero Symphony was successful when introduced in 1892, the same year that he was appointed to the Conservatory faculty. Finnish folksongs also helped shape his style. Sibelius grew up at a time of fervent Finnish nationalism, while the country was breaking away from its Swedish and Russian history. He was brought up in a Swedish-speaking family, and acquired a knowledge of Finnish language and literature. The early Finnish sagas were a strong influence on his future compositions. Sibelius married Aino Janefelt in 1892. He wrote little after 1926, as he did not gravitate to the trends in music after that time, and died 9/20/1957 of a cerebral hemorrhage in Jarvenpaa, Finland, at the age of 91. Link to Wikipedia biography