Birth of Jean Sibelius

Jean Sibelius was born on 8 December 1865 in Hämeenlinna. A Finnish composer, Sibelius is regarded as the national composer of Finland, whose music helped to shape the country's identity during its struggle for independence from Russia. His works include seven symphonies, the tone poems Finlandia, En Saga, The Swan of Tuonela and Tapiola, and a violin concerto that is one of the most performed. He drew on Finnish folklore and the epic Kalevala, and developed a spare, powerful orchestral style. From about the late 1920s he wrote almost nothing further, and he did not complete his eighth symphony, living quietly at his home Ainola for decades.

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