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Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)

Find classical music concert, opera, ballet and dance listings | Sibelius

© Daniel Nyblin - Finnish Heritage Agency (CC BY 4.0)

© Daniel Nyblin - Finnish Heritage Agency (CC BY 4.0)

Fact file

Year of birth	1865
Year of death	1957
Nationality	Finland
Period	Early 20th century

Jean Sibelius © Public Domain

Sibelius 150: An anniversary playlist

For Sibelius's 150th anniversary in 2015, the Bachtrack team picked their favourites of his works for this playlist, from his symphonies to tone poems and the only surviving recording of him conducting his own music.

Top Reads

Jean Sibelius © Public Domain

Totally Epic: Sibelius and the Kalevala

Cover of the first ediion of Sibelius' First Symphony © Public Domain

Sibelius' Symphonies 1 & 2: A violinist’s perspective

Cover image of the score for Sibelius' Third and Fourth Symphonies © Public domain

Sibelius’ Third and Fourth Symphonies: an exploration

Suomenlinna Fortress, Helsinki © Marjatta Caján | Pixabay

The story of Finlandia

Sibelius at his home, Ainola, playing the piano (1930) © Public domain

Whole in one: Sibelius’ Seventh

Jean Sibelius © Public Domain

The violin concertos of Nielsen and Sibelius

Upcoming eventsSee more...

LondonLouise Alder / Joseph Middleton

Wigmore Hall

Wigmore Hall, Tue 20 Oct at 19:30

Hahn, Grieg, Wolf, Puccini, Duparc, Strauss R., Berg, Chaminade, Grime, Schubert, Schumann, Messiaen, Debussy, Sibelius, Poulenc, Bonds

Louise Alder; Joseph Middleton

PoznańHenryk Wieniawski International Violin Competition: Stage 4 | Semi-final

University of Poznan: Auditorium, Tue 20 Oct at 18:00

Brahms, Beethoven, Dvořák, Karłowicz, Mendelssohn, Sibelius

Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra; Łukasz Borowicz; Unknown

PooleGlorious Heights

© Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

Lighthouse, Wed 21 Oct at 19:30

Tippett, Vaughan Williams, Adès, Sibelius

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra; Mark Wigglesworth; Anthony Marwood

PoznańHenryk Wieniawski International Violin Competition: Stage 4 | Semi-final

University of Poznan: Auditorium, Wed 21 Oct at 18:00

Brahms, Beethoven, Dvořák, Karłowicz, Mendelssohn, Sibelius

Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra; Łukasz Borowicz; Unknown

AberdeenBrahms’ Violin Concerto

© Martin McCready @ Upfront Photography

Aberdeen Music Hall, Thu 22 Oct at 19:30

Byström, Brahms, Saariaho, Sibelius

Unknown; Emilia Hoving; Maya Iwabuchi; Royal Scottish National Orchestra

ExeterGlorious Heights

© Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

University Great Hall, Exeter, Thu 22 Oct at 19:30

Tippett, Vaughan Williams, Adès, Sibelius

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra; Mark Wigglesworth; Anthony Marwood

Latest reviewsSee more...

Dalia Stasevska’s Sibelius and Respighi in Philly

Dalia Stasevska and the Philadelphia Orchestra © Sixiao Yang (January 2026)

Cameron Kelsall, 09 Oct

Making her third local appearance inside a year, the Ukrainian-Finnish conductor offers a generous program that also includes Saint-Saëns and Anna Meredith.

***11

Baroque’n’roll Vivaldi from Pekka Kuusisto in Aurora jam session

Pekka Kuusisto, Ale Carr and Aurora Orchestra © Chuko Cribb

Mark Pullinger, 25 Sep

Swedish folk musician Ale Carr joins the multi-faceted Finn and Aurora Orchestra in an unconventional but brilliant take on Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.

*****

Storgårds’ superb Sibelius opens the BBC Philharmonic season

John Storgårds conducts the BBC Philharmonic © Chris Payne

Peter Connors, 19 Sep

An intriguing evocation of the American forest in Gabriella Smith's amazing new organ concerto, Breathing Forests.

****1

Salonen and Bronfman sustain musical momentum at Tanglewood

Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts the Boston Symphony Orchestra © Hilary Scott

Edward Sava-Segal, 31 Jul

Wagner’s suspended longing, Sibelius’ continuous transformation and Beethoven’s expansive rhetoric unfold with clarity and purpose.

****1

Beacons in the dark: Guy Johnston plays Britten at the BBC Proms

Guy Johnston, Sakari Oramo and the BBC Symphony Orchestra © BBC | Mark Allan

Charlotte Gardner, 28 Jul

Cellist Guy Johnston joins Sakari Oramo and the BBC Symphony for a Prom journeying from humanity's darkest shadows to radiant optimism.

****1

Spanning the ages from Dowland to Strauss at the BBC Proms

Sueye Park, John Storgårds and the BBC Philharmonic © BBC | Chris Christodoulou

David Karlin, 21 Jul

Storgårds and the BBC Philharmonic are persuasive in Also sprach Zarathustra, less so in Sibelius. Thomas Dunford soothes with Dowland and Purcell.

Streamed performancesMore...

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Sibelius' Symphony no. 7 in C major

Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra

London Symphony Orchestra

LSO on Stage: Sibelius' The Oceanides

London Symphony Orchestra

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Sibelius Symphony no. 3

Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra

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Wiklund and Sibelius

Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra

Sibelius Symphony No. 3

Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra

List of works

6 Impromptus for Piano, Op.5 Andante festivo Barden (The Bard), symphonic poem for orchestra, Op.64 Belsazars gästabud (Belshazzar's Feast), suite for orchestra, Op.51 En Saga, a symphonic poem for orchestra, Op.9 Etude for piano, Op.76 no.2 Finlandia hymn, Op.113 no.12 Finlandia, symphonic poem for orchestra, Op.26 Five pieces for violin and piano, Op.81 Five songs, Op.37 Humoresque no. 1 in D minor, Op.87 no.1 Humoresque no. 5 in E flat major, Op.89 no. 3 Humoresque no. 6 in G minor, Op.89 no.4 Karelia Suite for orchestra, Op.11 King Christian II, Suite for orchestra, Op.27 Lemminkäinen Suite (Four legends) for orchestra, Op.22 Lemminkäinen's Return, Op.22 no.4 Luonnotar, symphonic poem for soprano and orchestra, Op.70 Night Ride and Sunrise, Op.55 Pelléas and Mélisande, suite for orchestra, Op.46 Piano quintet in G minor,Six Humoresques, Op. 87/89 Songs: selection Stormen (The Tempest) incidental music, Op.109 String quartet in A minor String quartet in D minor "Voces intimae", Op.56 Symphony no. 1 in E minor, Op.39 Symphony no. 2 in D major, Op.43 Symphony no. 3 in C major, Op.52 Symphony no. 4 in A minor, Op.63 Symphony no. 5 in E flat major, Op.82 Symphony no. 6 in D minor, Op.104 Symphony no. 7 in C major, Op.105 Tapiola, Op.112 The Oceanides symphonic poem for orchestra, (Aallottaret) Op.73 The Swan of Tuonela, Op.22 no.2 Two pieces for violin or cello and orchestra, Op.77 Violin Concerto in D minor, Op.47 Våren flyktar hastigt, Op.13 no.4