Jean Sibelius was born in Tavastehus, Finland, December 8th, 1865. He
matriculated at the University of Helsingfors in 1885, but shortly after
gave up all idea of studying law, and entered the Conservatory in 1886.
Here he remained three years, studying composition with Wegelius. In
1889-90 he studied with Becken in Berlin. In 1891 he went to Vienna to
study instrumentation with Karl Goldmark. From 1893-97 he taught
composition at the Helsingfors Conservatory. In 1897 the Finnish Senate
allotted him the sum of $600 yearly for a period of ten years, in order
to permit him leisure for composition. In 1900 he toured Scandinavia,
Germany, Belgium and France as conductor of the Helsingfors Philharmonic
Orchestra. In 1901 he was invited to conduct his own compositions at the
festival of the Deutscher Tonkünstlerverein in Heidelberg. In 1914,
while in America, Yale University conferred upon him the degree of
Doctor of Music. At present he is living in Järsengrää, Finland.
Among Sibelius's compositions are:
Five Symphonies: No. 1, Opus 39; No. 2, Opus 43; No. 3, Opus 52; No. 4,
Opus 63; No. 5 (composed in 1916).
String-quartet "Voces intimæ," Opus 56.
"En Saga," Opus 9; "Karelia Overture," Opus 10; "Der Schwan von Tuonela"
and "Lemmenkainen zieht heimwarts," Opus 22; "Finlandia," Opus 26;
"Suite King Christiern II," Opus 27; "Pohjohla's Daughter," Opus 49;
"Nächtlicher Ritt und Sonnenaufgang," Opus 55; "Scènes historiques,"
Opus 66; "Die Okeaniden," Opus 72. Some fifty songs, etc., etc.