A Finn with a French name
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Sibelius: 15 facts about the great composer
1. A Finn with a French name
Born in 1865 with the resolutely Finnish-sounding name of Johan Julius Christian, Sibelius was known early on as Janne to his loved ones. While he was a student he felt inspired to adopt the same French spelling as his uncle Jean, calling it his ‘music name’.
