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Finnish composer of the late Romantic and early-modern periods, widely regarded as Finland's national composer.Sibelius composed seven symphonies, over 100 songs, violin concerto, and iconic tone poems like 'Finlandia'. His music embodied Finnish nationalism during Russian rule. Despite international acclaim, he endured a 30-year creative silence before his death at 91.

• Sibelius struggled with alcoholism and suspected throat cancer (1908), leading to years of abstinence that impacted his creativity.
• He burned sketches of his unfinished 8th Symphony (c. 1945), contributing to his three-decade compositional silence – a profound mystery in classical music.
• Financial pressures forced him to compose lighter works like 'Valse Triste', which unexpectedly became his most popular piece during his lifetime.
• Despite international fame, he lived reclusively at Ainola (his lakeside home) for over 50 years, drawing inspiration from Finnish nature.