Olle Elgenmark

Olle Elgenmark (22 February 1936 – 24 December 2016) was a Swedish organist and composer. Early years Elgenmark was born on Södermalm in Stockholm, the son of the paediatrician, Olof Alfred Elgenmark, M. D. (1908–1972) and Elsa Judith Elgenmark, MA, (née Hellsing) (1908–1937). As his mother died when Elgenmark was only one year old, his father left him to be raised by his maternal grandparents, Hanna Hellsing, (née Hempel, 1873–1957) and the mechanical engineer at Bolinders, Karl Gustaf Fridolf Hellsing (1873–1946). Olle Elgenmark’s parents were both very musically talented, and in the grandparents’ home, music was always present. In 1958 Elgenmark married Agneta Ström (b. 1937) with whom he subsequently had three children. When Elgenmark was a young boy he was given piano lessons, As a student at Östra Real upper secondary school he got the opportunity to play the grand school organ for 15 minutes a week. In an interview Elgenmark told the following story: When he was 17 years old, he had private lessons in organ for the music director and organist Henry Lindroth. The latter asked after the first lesson: “Well, what are your plans for the future?” “I’m going to be an engineer”, th