The 150th anniversary of Jean Sibelius: One of the world's greatest composers

The year 2015 marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of the Finnish national composer Jean Sibelius. Hundreds of events during the jubilee year will take place throughout the world.

Jean Sibelius (8^th Dec 1865 - 20^th Sep 1957) was much more than the composer of seven symphonies, a violin concerto, Finlandia and Valse Triste – he also wrote a wealth of chamber music, songs, and choral music. His tone poems and incidental stage music adds variety to the concert programmes of the world's symphony orchestras.

His output includes a symphonic cycle that has become one of the most popular and loved cycles since Beethoven.  Sibelius wrote most of his works during the five decades from the beginning of the 1880s to the end of the 1920s. His stylistic development proceeds from his first exercises in the style of the Viennese classical school and early romanticism  to a sort of neoclassicism and to an expressionist-impressionist intermediate stage.

The year 2015 marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius.

Sibelius was inspired by Finnish nature

Sibelius was born in Hämeenlinna in Grand Duchy of Finland in the Russian Empire.He was the son of Swedish-speaking doctor Christian Gustaf Sibelius and Maria Charlotta Sibelius née Borg. Although known by the typical Finnish and Swedish name "Janne" to his family, during his student years he began using the French form of his name, 'Jean'.

On 10 June 1892, Jean Sibelius married Aino Järnefelt (1871–1969). Their home, which was called Ainola, was completed at Lake Tuusula, Järvenpää, in 1903. They had six daughters: Eva, Ruth, Kirsti, Katarina, Margareta and Heidi.The Finnish Ministry of Education and the Sibelius Society of Finland opened Ainola as a museum in 1974. Sibelius also spent long periods abroad in Vienna, Berlin and Italy.

Sibelius loved nature. The Finnish landscape often served as a material for his music. On 20^th Sep, 1957, at the age of ninety-one, Sibelius died at his home from a brain hemorrhage and was buried in the garden.

There will be numerous events during the jubilee year all around the planet, also here in UK.

For example London Symphony Orchestra plays Sibelius twice at Barbican Centre in London this year: Symphony nr. 2 on 15^th Mar and Violin concert on 28^th Jun.

For more Sibelius-related events, search here: Events Sibelius 150(Link to another website.)

More information:
Sibelius 150(Link to another website.)

Sisu, sauna, Sibelius and heavy metal, too(Link to another website.) 
Sibelius.fi(Link to another website.)


Source: www.sibelius.fi