when he was 14, he had a job in the military orchestra in the nearby town of odense. he played the horn and trombone. in 1884 some rich people in odense paid for him to go to the conservatory in copenhagen. he studied music there and did quite well, but there was nothing yet to show that he would be a brilliant composer. he got a job as violinist in the royal chapel, a good orchestra which was conducted by johan svendsen. he got to know the music of wagner, and he went to germany to study it. later he was not so keen on wagner’s music, and he was not much influenced by it.