Carl August Nielsen (; 9 June 18653 October 1931) was a Danish
musician,
conductor and
violinist, widely recognized as his country's greatest
composer. Brought up by poor but musically talented parents on the island of
Funen, he demonstrated his musical abilities at an early age. He initially played in a military band before attending the
Royal Danish Academy of Music in
Copenhagen from 1884 until December 1886. He premiered his
Op. 1,
Suite for Strings, in 1888, at the age of 23. The following year, Nielsen began a 16-year stint as a second violinist in the prestigious
Royal Danish Orchestra under the conductor
Johan Svendsen, during which he played in
Giuseppe Verdi's
Falstaff and
Otello at their Danish premieres. In 1916, he took a post teaching at the Royal Academy and continued to work there until his death.