Carl August Nielsen (Danish: [ka:l 'nelsn]; 9 June 1865 - 3 October 1931) was a Danish musician, conductor and violinist, widely recognized as his country's most prominent 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.

Nielsen was born the seventh of twelve children to a poor peasant family in 1865 at Sortelung near Norre Lyndelse, south of Odense on the island of Funen. His father, Niels Jorgensen, was a house painter and traditional musician who, with his abilities as a fiddler and cornet player, was in strong demand for local celebrations. Nielsen described his childhood in his autobiography Min Fynske Barndom (My Childhood on Funen). His mother, whom he recalls singing folk songs during his childhood, came from a well-to-do family of sea captains while one of his half-uncles, Hans Andersen (1837-1881), was a talented musician.  Nielsen gave an account of his introduction to music: "I had heard music before, heard father play the violin and cornet, heard mother singing, and, when in bed with the measles, I had tried myself out on the little violin". He had received the instrument from his mother when he was six. He learned the violin and piano as a child and wrote his earliest compositions at the age of eight or nine: a lullaby, now lost, and a polka which the composer mentioned in his autobiography. As his parents did not believe he had any future as a musician, they apprenticed him to a shopkeeper from a nearby village when he was fourteen; the shopkeeper went bankrupt by midsummer and Nielsen had to return home. After learning to play brass instruments, on 1 November 1879 he became a bugler and alto trombonist in the band of the army's 16th Battalion at nearby Odense.  Nielsen did not give up the violin during his time with the battalion, continuing to play it when he went home to perform at dances with his father. The army paid him three kroner and 45 ore and a loaf of bread every five days for two and a half years, after which his salary was raised slightly, enabling him to buy the civilian clothes he needed to perform at barn dances. CANNOTANSWER

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After learning to play brass instruments, on 1 November 1879 he became a bugler and alto trombonist in the band of the army's 16th Battalion at nearby Odense.
Carl August Nielsen (danska: [ka:l 'nelsn]; 9 juni 1865 - 3 oktober 1931) var en dansk musiker, dirigent och violinist, allmänt erkänd som sitt lands mest framstående tonsättare. Upptagen av fattiga men musikaliskt begåvade föräldrar på ön Fyn demonstrerade han tidigt sina musikaliska förmågor. Han spelade till en början i ett militärband innan han från 1884 fram till december 1886 gick på Det Kongelige Danske Musikaliska Akademi i Köpenhamn. Nielsen föddes det sjunde av tolv barn till en fattig bondefamilj 1865 på Sortelung nära Norre Lyndelse, söder om Odense på ön Fyn. Hans far, Niels Jorgensen, var en husmålare och traditionell musiker som med sina förmågor som spelman och kornettspelare var i stark efterfrågan på lokala fester. Nielsen skildrade sin barndom i sin självbiografi Min Fynske Barndom (My Childhood on Funen). Hans mor, som han minns sjungande folkvisor under sin uppväxt, kom från en välbärgad sjökaptensfamilj medan en av hans halv-ungar, Hans Andersen (1837-1881), var en begåvad musiker. Nielsen gav en redogörelse för sin introduktion till musik: "Jag hade hört musik förut, hört far spela fiol och kornett, hört mor sjunga, och, då jag i sängen med mässlingen hade prövat mig ut på den lilla fiolen". Han hade fått instrumentet av sin mor när han var sex år. Han lärde sig violin och piano som barn och skrev sina tidigaste kompositioner vid åtta eller nio års ålder: en vaggvisa, nu försvunnen, och en polka som tonsättaren nämnde i sin självbiografi. Då hans föräldrar inte trodde att han hade någon framtid som musiker, lärde de honom till en butiksinnehavare från en närliggande by när han var fjorton; butiksägaren gick i konkurs vid midsommar och Nielsen fick återvända hem. Efter att ha lärt sig att spela bleckblåsinstrument blev han den 1 november 1879 slagman och alttrombonist i bandet till arméns 16:e bataljon vid närliggande Odense. Nielsen gav inte upp fiolen under sin tid med bataljonen, fortsatte att spela den när han gick hem för att uppträda på danser med sin far. Armén betalade honom tre kronor och 45 malm och en brödlimpa var femte dag under två och ett halvt år, varefter hans lön höjdes något, vilket gjorde att han kunde köpa de civila kläder han behövde för att uppträda på ladugårdsdanser. CANNOTANSWER Finns det några andra intressanta aspekter med den här artikeln?
Carl August Nielsen (Danish: [ka:l 'nelsn]; 9 June 1865 - 3 October 1931) was a Danish musician, conductor and violinist, widely recognized as his country's most prominent composer. Busy by poor but musically gifted parents on the island of Fyn, he early demonstrated his musical abilities. He initially played in a military band before attending the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen from 1884 until December 1886. Nielsen was born the seventh of twelve children of a poor peasant family in 1865 at Sortelung near Norre Lynddelse, south of Odense on the island of Fyn. His father, Niels Jorgensen, was a house painter and traditional musician who, with his abilities as a fiddler and cornet player, was in strong demand for local parties. Nielsen portrayed her childhood in her autobiography My Fynske Childhood (My Childhood on Funen). His mother, whom he remembers singing folk songs while growing up, came from a wealthy sea captain family while one of his half-kids, Hans Andersen (1837-1881), was a gifted musician. Nielsen gave an account of his introduction to music: "I had heard music before, heard father play violin and cornet, heard mother sing, and, as I had tried my way out on the little violin in bed with measles". He had received the instrument from his mother when he was six years old. He learned violin and piano as a child and wrote his earliest compositions at the age of eight or nine: a lullaby, now missing, and a polka mentioned by the composer in his autobiography. As his parents thought he had no future as a musician, they taught him to a shopkeeper from a nearby village when he was fourteen; the shopkeeper went bankrupt at midsummer and Nielsen was allowed to return home. After learning to play brasswind instruments, he became a batsman and alto trombonist in the band of the 16th Battalion of the Army at nearby Odense on 1 November 1879. Nielsen did not give up the violin during his time with the battalion, continued to play it as he went home to perform at dances with his father. The army paid him three crowns and 45 ore and a loaf of bread every five days for two and a half years, after which his salary was raised slightly, allowing him to buy the civilian clothes he needed to perform on barn dances. Are there any other interesting aspects to this article?
Efter att ha lärt sig att spela bleckblåsinstrument blev han den 1 november 1879 slagman och alttrombonist i bandet till arméns 16:e bataljon vid närliggande Odense.
After learning to play brasswind instruments, he became a batsman and alto trombonist in the band of the 16th Battalion of the Army at nearby Odense on 1 November 1879.