Toivo Kuula (born July 7, 1883, in Alavus, Vaasa; died May 18, 1918, in Viipuri) was a Finnish composer.
He first studied music theory and violin in Helsinki, and later composition—including under Jean Sibelius—on whose recommendation he went on to study in Bologna, Leipzig, and Paris. His works are strongly influenced by Jean Sibelius and Gabriel Fauré. His body of work is extensive, ranging from piano pieces to chamber music to large-scale choral works (such as “Stabat mater”).
Kuula was fatally wounded in a altercation with a hunting officer on Walpurgis Night in 1918. He succumbed to his injuries 18 days later in a hospital in Viipuri.
(Wikipedia)
