Tove Jansson "Pessi and Illusia", a ballet by Ahti Sonninen ("Radio tekee murron") which was performed at the Finnish National Opera. By 1958, Jansson began to become directly involved in theater as Lilla Teater produced "Troll i kulisserna" ("Troll in the wings"), a play with lyrics by Jansson and music composed by Erna Tauro. The production was a success, and later performances were held in Sweden and Norway. In 1974 the first Moomin opera was produced, with music composed by Ilkka Kuusisto. The biennial Hans Christian Andersen Award conferred by the International Board on Books for Young People is the highest recognition
Tove Jansson her father, Viktor Jansson, was a sculptor, and her mother, Signe Hammarsten-Jansson, was a Swedish-born graphic designer and illustrator. Tove's siblings also became artists: Per Olov Jansson became a photographer and Lars Jansson an author and cartoonist. Whilst their home was in Helsinki, the family spent many of their summers in a rented cottage on an island near Borgå, 50 km east of Helsinki. Jansson studied at University College of Arts, Crafts and Design, in Stockholm in 1930–33, the Graphic School of the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts in 1933–1937, and finally at L'École d'Adrien Holy and L'École des Beaux-Arts