Concerts in Finland, 1891-1939

Sibelius conducted an orchestra about fifty times in Helsinki and about twenty times in other towns in Finland. Most of these concerts included his own compositions. As well as presenting familiar or new works, they were a substantial source of income for the composer. With one successful concert in Helsinki he could earn almost as much as his annual pension.

Fees paid to Sibelius for concerts, 1893–1916

For his own concerts Sibelius usually received the proceeds, less various costs connected with organising the event. Out of this sum Sibelius recovered costs that he himself had already incurred: newspaper advertisements, the printing costs of the programs and the musicians’ fees for any extra rehearsals that had been required. After a successful concert he might also buy a few jugs of punch for the musicians. In fact, the concerts were usually profitable, but not always. Sometimes Sibelius had to transport musicians from Helsinki to reinforce a local orchestra, and this ate into the profits of the concert.

Jean Sibelius conducting at the opening of the Industrial Fair in the summer of 1920.

Concerts abroad, 1902-1926

Sibelius’s gave his first concert abroad in Heidelberg, June 1901. After that, up until the autumn of 1926, he conducted concerts in various parts of Europe. He also paid one visit to the United States (see Sibelius’s journeys abroad). The concert fees varied considerably from country to country. For the performances in the United States in 1914 Sibelius received over 15,000 euros, whereas the maximum for a concert in London was 7,500 euros. In Gothenburg Sibelius had to settle for 4,200 euros and in the Baltic countries for only half of that.

It was not only money that induced Sibelius to give concerts abroad, although the fees often considerably exceeded the fees for concerts in Finland. A far more important factor for him was the publicity he gained for his works.