장 시벨리우스 Jean Sibelius(1865~1957)

핀란드 헤메린나에서 태어난 시벨리우스는 9세 때부터 피아노를 배우고, 15세 때부터는 바이올린과 작곡법을 배워 이 무렵부터 점차 음악적 재능을 나타내기 시작하였다. 1885년 헬싱키대학에 입학, 법률을 전공하는 사이사이 헬싱키음악원에서 베겔리우스에게 음악이론과 작곡을 배웠다. 그 후 음악을 전공하기 위하여 대학을 중퇴하고 당시 음악원 교수로 있던 명피아니스트 부조니에게 사사하였다.

Jean Sibelius(1865~1957)
 

_{Jean Sibelius (Johan Julius Christian Sibelius) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic and early-modern periods. He is widely regarded as his country's greatest composer, and his music is often credited with having helped Finland develop a national identity during its struggle for independence from Russia.}

_{The core of his oeuvre is his set of seven symphonies, which, like his other major works, are regularly performed and recorded in Finland and countries around the world. His other best-known compositions are Finlandia, the Karelia Suite, Valse triste, the Violin Concerto, the choral symphony Kullervo, and The Swan of Tuonela (from the Lemminkäinen Suite). His other works include pieces inspired by nature, Nordic mythology, and the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala; over a hundred songs for voice and piano; incidental music for numerous plays; the one-act opera The Maiden in the Tower; chamber music, piano music, Masonic ritual music, and 21 publications of choral music.}

_{Sibelius composed prolifically until the mid-1920s, but after completing his Seventh Symphony (1924), the incidental music for The Tempest (1926), and the tone poem Tapiola (1926), he stopped producing major works in his last 30 years— a retirement commonly referred to as the "silence of Järvenpää", (the location of his home). Although he is reputed to have stopped composing, he attempted to continue writing, including abortive efforts on an eighth symphony. In later life, he wrote Masonic music and re-edited some earlier works, while retaining an active but not always favourable interest in new developments in music. Although this 'silence' has often perplexed scholars, in reality, Sibelius was clear: he felt he had written enough.}

The Finnish 100 mark note featured his image until 2002, when the euro was adopted. Since 2011, Finland has celebrated a flag flying day on 8 December, the composer's birthday, also known as the Day of Finnish Music. In 2015, in celebration of the 150th anniversary of Sibelius's birth, a number of special concerts and events were held, especially in Helsinki, the Finnish capital.