Symphony No. 3 (Sibelius)

Symphony No. 3
by Jean Sibelius
The composer (c.1905)
KeyC major
Opus52
Composed1904 (1904)–1907
PublisherLienau (1907)
Duration29 mins.
Movements3
Premiere
Date25 September 1907 (1907-09-25)
LocationHelsinki, Grand Duchy of Finland
ConductorJean Sibelius
PerformersHelsinki Philharmonic Society

The Symphony No. 3 in C major, Op. 52, is a three-movement work for orchestra written from 1904 to 1907 by the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius.

Coming between the romantic intensity of Sibelius's first two symphonies and the more austere complexity of his later symphonies, it is a good-natured, triumphal, and deceptively simple-sounding piece. The symphony's first performance was given by the Helsinki Philharmonic Society, conducted by the composer, on 25 September 1907. In the same concert, his suite from the incidental music to Belshazzar's Feast, Op. 51, was also performed for the first time. It is dedicated to the British composer Granville Bantock, an early champion of his work in the UK.

The first recording featured the Finnish conductor Robert Kajanus and the London Symphony Orchestra, for the His Master's Voice label in June 1932.