Born: March 19, 1809, Hamburg, Germany.

Died: January 8, 1891.

Pacius be­came a mu­sic teach­er at the Un­i­ver­si­ty of Hel­sin­ki in 1834. In Hel­sin­ki, he found­ed a mu­sic­al so­ci­e­ty, a stu­dent choir and an or­ches­tra. In 1848, he wrote the mu­sic to the po­em “Maamme,” by Jo­han Run­e­berg, which was to be­come Fin­land’s na­tion­al an­them. Pa­ci­us’ mu­sic was al­so used for the Es­to­ni­an na­tion­al an­them. In 1852 he com­posed The Hunt of King Charles, the first Fin­nish op­e­ra, with a li­bret­to by Za­cha­ri­as To­pe­li­us.

Music

1. Finland