hiː wʌz bˈɔːɹn ɪn hɛlsˈɪŋki, ænd ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvən hiː stˈɑːɹɾᵻd hɪz stˈʌdiz ɪnðə hˈɛlsɪŋɡˌɪn mjˌuːsɪˌɪkɪəpˈɪstoʊ lˈeɪɾɚ nˈeɪmd sᵻbˈeɪliəs ɐkˈædəmi.
He was born in Helsinki, and in 1907 he started his studies in the Helsingin Musiikkiopisto (later named Sibelius Academy).