His two-year long sojourn in Finland's capital played a large role in Busoni's biography. An acquaintance with the country's folk music, closeness with a number of Finnish musicians-Wegelius, Kajanus, Järnefelt, and others, a closeness, which, with one of them-Sibelius-grew into lifelong friendship, opened new horizons for Busoni, and began the process of eroding the foundations of his then rather conservative musical worldview.

Among other events of Busoni's life in Helsingfors, in 1889 he met the daughter of the Swedish sculptor, Gerda Sjöstrand, who, in one year's time became his wife.

During the stay in Finland, which was then a part of the Russian Empire, Busoni's first ties with Russia took shape. In 1890 he performed in St. Petersburg on a few occasions (one of these being a symphonic assembly of the Russian Musical Society, playing the Schumann Concerto under Rubinstein's baton), and in August of the same year and in the same city he took part in Rubinstein' first international competition for pianists and composers.

This competition took place under circumstances quite different from those of the competitions of today. Only men between the ages of twenty and twenty-six were allowed to enter; there were only two prizes: one for composition and one for piano, each in the sum of 5,000 francs. Six contestants took part: five pianists and one composer, including one entrant in both categories.