Art in the Concert Hall Jean Sibelius

Portrait of the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) in white marble, from 1939. The bust stands by the windows in the Götaplats foyer.

The tough Finn composer is often associated with the spruce forests and granite cliffs of Finnish nature, but he was just as much a world-famous socialite who mingled in the salons of Helsinki, Stockholm, Paris and Berlin.

As Finland’s national composer, he has a strong popular support. His production has been described in his home country as “one of classical music’s most fascinating treasures” and this may be in line with world-famous percussion numbers such as Valse triste and Finlandia and profound, unique masterpieces such as Luonnotar and Tapiola. His violin concerto has been recorded more times than most from the 20th century, by world-famous soloists such as Jascha Heifetz, Itzhak Perlman and Anne-Sophie Mutter.

48x32x27 cm