Ferruccio Busoni
1866 - 1924
Ferruccio Busoni was a German composer and pianist born in Italy. At the age of 7 he made his first public appearance and at 12 he conducted his own Stabat Mater.
He taught in Helsinki, Moscow and Boston before settling permanently in Berlin in 1894. He became famous as a virtuoso pianist and gave world premieres of works by important composers.
His most famous work during his lifetime, the opera Die Brautwahl (1910), was followed by the operas Arlecchino (1916) and Turandot (1917), but the unfinished and posthumously staged Doctor Faust is considered his masterpiece.
Of his orchestral works, his Piano Concerto (1904) is the most frequently performed. His numerous piano pieces include the Fantasia contrappuntistica (1910), six sonatinas (1910-20) and arrangements of organ works by Johann Sebastian Bach.
Erik Satie
1866 - 1925
Jean Sibelius
1865 – 1957
Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer. As a child he played the violin and composed, later he studied composition with Karl Goldmark (1830-1915). After initially focusing on chamber music, he quickly developed into an orchestral composer.
He became involved in the movement for national independence from Russia, and his nationalism resulted in works based on Finnish folklore such as Kullervo (1892), the Karelia Suite (1893), Legends from the Kalevala (1893) and Finlandia ( 1900).
His greatest successes were his seven symphonies (1899-1924), the Violin Concerto in D minor (1903) and Tapiola (1926). His works, characterized by a lively but melancholy romanticism, gained international popularity.