Nationality: Finnish

CRUSELL, Bernhard

Born in Uusikaupunki, Finland, Oct 15, 1775
Died in Stockholm, July 28, 1838¹

Born in Oulu, Feb 17, 1887
Died in Helsinki, Oct 6, 1947

Leevi Madetoja (pronounced “Leh-vi Mah-det-oya”) was a Finnish composer, educator, and music critic who followed in the footsteps of Jean Sibelius in leading the Finnish national Romantic school.
Madetoja studied at the music institute in Helsinki under Sibelius, followed by a period of study in Paris under Vincent d’Indy and in Vienna/ Berlin under Robert Fuchs.¹

Born in Käkisalmi, Finland [now Priozersk, Russia], Feb 7, 1875
Died in Pukinmäki, Helsinki, Feb 14, 1937

Erkki Melartin (pronunciation) studied at the Helsinki Music School with Martin Wegelius (1892–9) and in Vienna with Robert Fuchs.
Melartin went on to serve as director of the Helsinki Music School from 1911–36, where he “raised an entire generation of composers as a teacher, and supported young modernists.”
As a composer, Melartin was incredibly prolific, and his extensive output includes six symphonies (in addition to several more pieces for orchestra), stage works, chamber music, art songs, choral pieces, piano works, and more.
- Melartin’s music is rooted in the Late Romantic idiom while experimenting with the newer Impressionist and Expressionist styles.
- Largely overshadowed by his Finnish contemporary, Jean Sibelius, Melartin was writing symphonies around the same time as Sibelius and maintained a distinctive style and musical voice throughout.¹

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Short biography from Fennica Gehrman

Born in Hämeenlinna, Dec 8, 1865
Died in Järvenpää, Sept 20, 1957