Jean Sibelius

'Finlandia,' composed in 1899 and revised in 1900, is by far Sibelius's most recognizable work and became an unofficial anthem of Finnish nationalism under Russian imperial rule. The stirring hymn section within it remains widely performed and has been adapted into Christian hymns and other settings.

Sibelius wrote seven symphonies, completed between 1899 and 1924, each with a highly individual structure that moves away from traditional sonata form toward a more organic, continuously evolving musical logic. His Symphony No. 7 is a single-movement work that condenses the entire symphonic journey into roughly 22 minutes.

After completing the tone poem 'Tapiola' in 1926, Sibelius essentially stopped publishing major works, living another three decades in near-silence at his home Ainola in Järvenpää. He reportedly worked on an 8th Symphony for years but ultimately destroyed the manuscripts, and no trace of the complete work survives.

Yes, his former home Ainola in Järvenpää, about 30 miles north of Helsinki, is now a museum open to the public. Sibelius lived there from 1904 until his death in 1957, and both he and his wife Aino are buried on the grounds.