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The Life and Music of Jean Sibelius

Jean Sibelius was one of the world’s most celebrated composers about 100 years ago, and is widely considered Finland’s greatest composer. His music, like the exquisite Finlandia, was celebrated by Finnish people seeking independence from Russia around the turn of the last century. Sibelius remains a larger-than-life figure in Finland today. As Alex Ross put it in The New Yorker, “When Finns are asked to characterize their culture, they invariably mention, along with such national treasures as the lakeside sauna, Fiskars scissors, and Nokia cell phones, ‘our Sibelius.’”

And for good reason.

In this class, we’ll learn about the life and music of this fascinating musical figure. We’ll cover Sibelius’s biography and a bit of Finnish history and culture, and listen to some of Sibelius’s most important compositions, including symphonies and tone poems.

Sibelius has a unique sound. His music bridged the late-Romantic and early-modern periods, and he is often studied as one of the “cold climate” composers. Tim Page described Sibelius this way in the Washington Post: “At his very best, he is often weird.”

While appreciation for Sibelius has gone up and down over the decades, he’s a great name to know. Your ears are in for a treat.

No musical knowledge is required; in fact, it’s probably better if you don’t have any!











When: Thu., Jan. 25, 2018 at 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Where: Prospect Heights Brainery
190 Underhill Ave., Prospect Heights

Price: $10
Buy tickets/get more info now
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Jean Sibelius was one of the world’s most celebrated composers about 100 years ago, and is widely considered Finland’s greatest composer. His music, like the exquisite Finlandia, was celebrated by Finnish people seeking independence from Russia around the turn of the last century. Sibelius remains a larger-than-life figure in Finland today. As Alex Ross put it in The New Yorker, “When Finns are asked to characterize their culture, they invariably mention, along with such national treasures as the lakeside sauna, Fiskars scissors, and Nokia cell phones, ‘our Sibelius.’”

And for good reason.

In this class, we’ll learn about the life and music of this fascinating musical figure. We’ll cover Sibelius’s biography and a bit of Finnish history and culture, and listen to some of Sibelius’s most important compositions, including symphonies and tone poems.

Sibelius has a unique sound. His music bridged the late-Romantic and early-modern periods, and he is often studied as one of the “cold climate” composers. Tim Page described Sibelius this way in the Washington Post: “At his very best, he is often weird.”

While appreciation for Sibelius has gone up and down over the decades, he’s a great name to know. Your ears are in for a treat.

No musical knowledge is required; in fact, it’s probably better if you don’t have any!

Buy tickets/get more info now