Carl August Nielsen (June 9, 1865 ? October 3, 1931) was a conductor, violinist, and composer from Denmark. His works are primarily known in Denmark, where cultural institutions, particularly since in the first years of the 21st century, have sought to promote the legacy of Danish-born artists. Carl Nielsen is especially admired for his six symphonies and his concertos for violin, flute and clarinet. Nielsen is best known for his six symphonies. Other well-known pieces of his are the incidental music for Adam Oehlenschläger's drama Aladdin, the operas Saul og David and Maskarade, the concerti for flute, violin, and clarinet, the wind quintet, and the Helios Overture, which depicts the passage of the sun in the sky from dawn to nightfall. The vast majority of Danes knows and sings the numerous songs by various poets, set to music by Carl Nielsen.
Like his contemporary, the Finn Jean Sibelius, he studied Renaissance polyphony closely, which accounts for much of the melodic and harmonic "feel" of his music.
Nielsen's works are sometimes referred to by FS numbers, from the 1965 catalog compiled by Dan Fog and Torben Schousboe.
