The Polish National Branch of IAML is celebrating today (March 24, 2016) the birth of the initiator and co-founder of the Section of Music Libraries - Polish National Branch of IAML!
Today, 8th December, we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. Born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius in the town of Hämeenlinna around 30 miles north of the capital Helsinki he adopted the name Jean that had been used by a seafaring uncle. His father, a medical doctor, died from typhoid before Sibelius reached two years of age, leaving the family insolvent and having to move into the home of his maternal grandmother.
Douglas Lilburn was an extremely influential figure in the history of New Zealand music. November 2015 marks the centenary of his birth. Lilburn’s reputation as the father of post-Second World War New Zealand musical composition is well-known. Leading by example, he forged a path that allowed others to aspire to a life of full-time composition.
Pity the composer who has the misfortune to produce a work whose popularity overshadows the remainder of his or her creative output. Take young Pietro Mascagni as an example. In an attempt to win some prize money, feed his family and gain the attention of publishers, he put his beloved magnum opus, Guglielmo Ratcliff, on hold in order to throw together an entry for a one-act opera competition. As a result, he not only became famous overnight, but also created the verismo movement in music. Within a few years, he became one of the wealthiest composers in the world.
