5 things to know about Jean Sibelius and his music:

1. Today, the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) is best known as an influential symphonist and nationalist composer. His works had considerable influence on other symphonists, especially in Britain and Nordic countries. Evocations of Sibelius-styled writing can be heard in certain works by composers such as Vaughan Williams, William Walton, and Malcolm Arnold.

2. In addition to his native homeland, his sources of musical influence include: Ferruccio Busoni, Anton Brukner, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, and Richard Wagner.

3. His most well-known works include: Finlandia, Violin Concerto in D minor, Valse Triste, Karelia Suite, and The Swan of Tuonela.

4. Sibelius’ output ranges from small character pieces to incidental music, music for freemasonry, and large-scale symphonic works!

5. Sibelius’ contemporaries include: Gustav Mahler, Carl Nielson, Richard Strauss, Claude Debussy, Erik Satie, and Ferruccio Busoni.

Did you know?

1. Sibelius was voted as the most popular composer, ahead of Beethoven and Ravel, in the 1935 poll by the New York Philharmonic.

1. Sibelius became a much-respected representative for Finnish national identity during his lifetime. At his funeral, 17,000 people were said to have filed past his coffin to pay respect. The students at Helsinki guarded the coffin all night, and people formed a guard of honour at the road side from Helsinki to Järvenpää.

To find out more about Jean Sibelius, visit http://www.sibelius.fi/english/