Martin Wegelius
Encyclopedia
Martin Wegelius was a Finnish
composer
and musicologist, primarily remembered as the founder, in 1882, of the Helsinki Music Institute, now known as the Sibelius Academy
.
Wegelius studied in Leipzig, Vienna and Munich. He had intended to pursue a career as a composer, and wrote handful of orchestral works and a significant number of chamber and vocal works. He was a particular admirer of Wagner but wrote predominantly in the Romantic
style. After founding the Institute he had little time for composing, and appears to have concentrated exclusively on teaching. The most famous graduate of Wegelius' Institute was Jean Sibelius
.
He is often compared with his contemporary and rival Robert Kajanus
, founder of the Helsinki Symphony Orchestra, the first professional symphony orchestra in the Nordic countries.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and musicologist, primarily remembered as the founder, in 1882, of the Helsinki Music Institute, now known as the Sibelius Academy
Sibelius Academy
The Sibelius Academy is a university-level music school which operates in Helsinki and Kuopio, Finland. It also has an adult education centre in Järvenpää and a training centre in Seinäjoki. The Academy is the only music university in Finland. It is among the biggest European music universities...
.
Wegelius studied in Leipzig, Vienna and Munich. He had intended to pursue a career as a composer, and wrote handful of orchestral works and a significant number of chamber and vocal works. He was a particular admirer of Wagner but wrote predominantly in the Romantic
Romantic music
Romantic music or music in the Romantic Period is a musicological and artistic term referring to a particular period, theory, compositional practice, and canon in Western music history, from 1810 to 1900....
style. After founding the Institute he had little time for composing, and appears to have concentrated exclusively on teaching. The most famous graduate of Wegelius' Institute was Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer of the later Romantic period whose music played an important role in the formation of the Finnish national identity. His mastery of the orchestra has been described as "prodigious."...
.
He is often compared with his contemporary and rival Robert Kajanus
Robert Kajanus
Robert Kajanus was a Finnish conductor and composer of Swedish descent.-Life:Robert Kajanus was the most prominent Finnish composer before Jean Sibelius. His music drew on the folk legends of the Finnish people...
, founder of the Helsinki Symphony Orchestra, the first professional symphony orchestra in the Nordic countries.