Jean Sibelius Quiz Questions and Answers
Q1. In which Finnish town was Jean Sibelius born on December 8, 1865?
A. Turku
B. Helsinki
C. Hameenlinna
D. Tampere
Answer: C. Hameenlinna
Q2. What was Jean Sibelius’s original full name at birth?
A. Johan Christian Sibelius
B. Johan Julius Christian Sibelius
C. Jean Julius Sibelius
D. Christian Johan Sibelius
Answer: B. Johan Julius Christian Sibelius
Q3. When did Jean Sibelius’s father die, leaving the family in financial difficulties?
A. 1865
B. 1868
C. 1870
D. 1872
Answer: B. 1868
Q4. At what age did Jean Sibelius begin receiving violin lessons from his uncle?
A. Five
B. Seven
C. Ten
D. Twelve
Answer: C. Ten
Q5. In which year did Jean Sibelius begin composing his first pieces?
A. 1883
B. 1884
C. 1885
D. 1886
Answer: A. 1883
Q6. Which institution did Jean Sibelius attend for his primary music studies from 1885 to 1889?
A. Berlin Conservatory
B. Vienna Academy
C. Helsinki Music Institute
D. Royal College of Music in London
Answer: C. Helsinki Music Institute
Q7. Who was one of Jean Sibelius’s key teachers and the founder of the Helsinki Music Institute?
A. Robert Fuchs
B. Martin Wegelius
C. Karl Goldmark
D. Ferruccio Busoni
Answer: B. Martin Wegelius
Q8. In which city did Jean Sibelius study composition under Albert Becker from 1889 to 1890?
A. Vienna
B. Berlin
C. Paris
D. Stockholm
Answer: B. Berlin
Q9. Which composer influenced Jean Sibelius during his studies in Vienna from 1890 to 1891?
A. Giuseppe Verdi
B. Richard Wagner
C. Anton Bruckner
D. Johannes Brahms
Answer: C. Anton Bruckner
Q10. What was Jean Sibelius’s nickname during his youth before adopting “Jean” as an adult?
A. Jussi
B. Janne
C. Juhani
D. Jarmo
Answer: B. Janne
Q11. Which of Sibelius’s symphonies premiered on April 26, 1899, marking his early orchestral success?
A. Symphony No. 2
B. Symphony No. 3
C. Symphony No. 1
D. Symphony No. 4
Answer: C. Symphony No. 1
Q12. In what year was the final version of Sibelius’s Symphony No. 2 composed?
A. 1899
B. 1902
C. 1904
D. 1907
Answer: B. 1902
Q13. Which Sibelius symphony was premiered in 1915 and revised to its final form by 1919?
A. Symphony No. 3
B. Symphony No. 4
C. Symphony No. 5
D. Symphony No. 6
Answer: C. Symphony No. 5
Q14. When was Sibelius’s Symphony No. 7, his final symphony, composed?
A. 1911
B. 1919
C. 1923
D. 1924
Answer: D. 1924
Q15. How many symphonies did Jean Sibelius ultimately complete and publish?
A. Five
B. Six
C. Seven
D. Eight
Answer: C. Seven
Q16. Which tone poem by Sibelius premiered on April 28, 1892, and launched his career?
A. En saga
B. Finlandia
C. Kullervo
D. Tapiola
Answer: C. Kullervo
Q17. In what year was the revised version of Sibelius’s Violin Concerto first performed?
A. 1903
B. 1905
C. 1906
D. 1907
Answer: B. 1905
Q18. Which incidental music piece by Sibelius became one of his most popular works in 1903?
A. The Oceanides
B. Valse triste
C. Karelia Suite
D. Lemminkainen Suite
Answer: B. Valse triste
Q19. When was Sibelius’s tone poem Tapiola composed?
A. 1900
B. 1914
C. 1923
D. 1926
Answer: D. 1926
Q20. Which suite by Sibelius draws from Finnish patriotic themes and was composed in 1893?
A. Lemminkainen Suite
B. Karelia Suite
C. En saga
D. The Swan of Tuonela
Answer: B. Karelia Suite
Q21. Whom did Jean Sibelius marry on June 10, 1892?
A. Armas Jarnefelt
B. Eva Jarnefelt
C. Aino Jarnefelt
D. Kirsti Jarnefelt
Answer: C. Aino Jarnefelt
Q22. How many daughters did Jean Sibelius and Aino have?
A. Four
B. Six
C. Seven
D. Eight
Answer: B. Six
Q23. In which year did the Sibelius family move into their home, Ainola, near Jarvenpaa?
A. 1892
B. 1900
C. 1904
D. 1910
Answer: C. 1904
Q24. What inspired much of Sibelius’s early works, including the Karelia Suite, during his 1892 honeymoon?
A. Swedish folklore
B. Karelian landscapes
C. Viennese opera
D. Berlin symphonies
Answer: B. Karelian landscapes
Q25. Which Finnish national epic heavily influenced Sibelius’s compositions like Kullervo?
A. The Kalevala
B. The Edda
C. The Sagas
D. The Runes
Answer: A. The Kalevala