Bachtrack logo

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 birth1865
Year of death1957
NationalityFinland
PeriodEarly 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
Upcoming eventsSee more...

DublinDaniel Müller-Schott plays Elgar's Cello Concerto

National Concert Hall, Dublin
Montgomery, Elgar, Sibelius, Grieg
National Symphony Orchestra Ireland; Anna Rakitina; Daniel Müller-Schott

ZurichWandelkonzert

© Michel Bumann ZKO
Purcell, Tabakova, Suter, Berio, Sibelius, Finnis, Albinoni, Schubert, Vasks
Zurich Chamber Orchestra; Simon Wiener

SheffieldViennese Christmas Spectacular

© London Concertante
Strauss II, Shostakovich, Sibelius, Tchaikovsky, Korngold, Lehár, Suppé
London Concertante; Ellie Laugharne

Wałbrzych2nd Prizewinner of the Wieniawski Competition

International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition
Chopin, Sibelius, Spisak, Weinberg
Sudecka Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra; Maciej Tomasiewicz; Jinzhu Li

ParisFinale du concours Long-Thibaud

© Lyodoh Kaneko
Lalo, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Prokofiev, Sibelius, Shostakovich
Orchestre symphonique de la Garde républicaine; Bastien Stil

New York CityJupiter Symphony Chamber Players : Freemasons

© NASA
Sibelius, Beethoven, Spohr
Charles Berofsky; Josef Špaček Jr; Christine Lamprea; Sooyun Kim
Latest reviewsSee more...

Pure cold water: Hoving conducts a very fine Sibelius 6 in Edinburgh

Emilia Hoving and Maya Iwabuchi in rehearsal with the RSNO © RSNO | Clara Cowen
Emilia Hoving conducts the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in the music of her leading countryman, after leader Maya Iwabuchi plays Brahms. 
***11
Read more

Dalia Stasevska’s Sibelius and Respighi in Philly

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

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

Pekka Kuusisto, Ale Carr and Aurora Orchestra © Chuko Cribb
Swedish folk musician Ale Carr joins the multi-faceted Finn and Aurora Orchestra in an unconventional but brilliant take on Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.
*****
Read more

Storgårds’ superb Sibelius opens the BBC Philharmonic season

John Storgårds conducts the BBC Philharmonic © Chris Payne
An intriguing evocation of the American forest in Gabriella Smith's amazing new organ concerto, Breathing Forests.
****1
Read more

Salonen and Bronfman sustain musical momentum at Tanglewood

Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts the Boston Symphony Orchestra © Hilary Scott
Wagner’s suspended longing, Sibelius’ continuous transformation and Beethoven’s expansive rhetoric unfold with clarity and purpose. 
****1
Read more

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

Guy Johnston, Sakari Oramo and the BBC Symphony Orchestra © BBC | Mark Allan
Cellist Guy Johnston joins Sakari Oramo and the BBC Symphony for a Prom journeying from humanity's darkest shadows to radiant optimism.
****1
Read more
List of works
6 Impromptus for Piano, Op.5Andante festivoBarden (The Bard), symphonic poem for orchestra, Op.64Belsazars gästabud (Belshazzar's Feast), suite for orchestra, Op.51Duo for violin and viola in C majorEn Saga, a symphonic poem for orchestra, Op.9Etude for piano, Op.76 no.2Finlandia hymn, Op.113 no.12Finlandia, symphonic poem for orchestra, Op.26Five pieces for violin and piano, Op.81Five songs, Op.37Humoresque no. 1 in D minor, Op.87 no.1Humoresque no. 5 in E flat major, Op.89 no. 3Humoresque no. 6 in G minor, Op.89 no.4Karelia Suite for orchestra, Op.11King Christian II, Suite for orchestra, Op.27Lemminkäinen Suite (Four legends) for orchestra, Op.22Luonnotar, symphonic poem for soprano and orchestra, Op.70Mazurka for violin and piano, Op.81 no.1Night Ride and Sunrise, Op.55Pelléas and Mélisande, suite for orchestra, Op.46Piano quintet in G minor,Rakastava (The Lover) for mixed choir, Op.14Romance in F Major, Op.78 no.2Six Humoresques, Op. 87/89Stormen (The Tempest) incidental music, Op.109String quartet in A minorString quartet in D minor "Voces intimae", Op.56Symphony no. 1 in E minor, Op.39Symphony no. 2 in D major, Op.43Symphony no. 3 in C major, Op.52Symphony no. 4 in A minor, Op.63Symphony no. 5 in E flat major, Op.82Symphony no. 6 in D minor, Op.104Symphony no. 7 in C major, Op.105Tapiola, Op.112The Oceanides symphonic poem for orchestra, (Aallottaret) Op.73The Swan of Tuonela, Op.22 no.2Two pieces for violin or cello and orchestra, Op.77Valse triste, Op.44 no.1 Violin Concerto in D minor, Op.47