Edvard Armas Järnefelt was a Finnish and Swedish conductor and composer born on August 14, 1869, in Vyborg, Grand Duchy of Finland. He studied under Ferruccio Busoni in Helsinki and Jules Massenet in Paris. Järnefelt began his conducting career at the Magdeburg Opera (1896) and in Düsseldorf (1897) before leading the Vyborg Orchestra from 1898 to 1903. In 1905, he began a long tenure at the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm, serving as repetiteur until 1911, conductor until 1923, and chief conductor until 1933. He became a Swedish citizen in 1909. Järnefelt was a pioneer in introducing the operas of Richard Wagner to Finland. His notable compositions include the popular orchestral miniatures "Berceuse" (1904) and "Praeludium" (1900), as well as the Suite in E-flat major. His output includes over 70 solo songs and 13 cantatas. Järnefelt served as the artistic director of the Finnish National Opera (1932–1936) before dying in Stockholm on June 23, 1958.
