Sweden on Music Theory Print

Abraham Baer

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Abraham Baer (born in Filehne, Prussia, December 26, 1834; died at Gothenburg, Sweden, March 7, 1894) was a German cantor, musician, and composer. His father destined him for the rabbinate; but his love for music and the song of the synagogue caused him to choose to become a Cantor (Hazzan). At an early age he emigrated to Germany, and there under the tutelage of eminent ḥazanim prepared himself for his sacred calling. He officiated for a time at Pakosh and Schwetz in West Prussia, and at the age of twenty-three (in 1857) was called to Gothenburg. Well equipped with Hebrew and Talmudic learning, he applied himself to the acquisition of secular knowledge and the science and art of music. His researches were especially directed to the field of Jewish traditional melodies, then but little explored. In 1871, after fifteen years of hard work, he published his work, Bā’al Tefillah, oder der Practische Vorbeter — an almost complete collection of Jewish traditional melodies, of which a second revised and enlarged edition (358 pp. folio) appeared in 1883. The work contains fifteen hundred and five melodies, in German, Polish, and Portuguese (Sephardic) versions, and is divided into four par

Adolf Fredrik Lindblad

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Adolf Fredrik Lindblad (1 February 1801 – 23 August 1878) was a Swedish composer from the Romantic era. He is mostly known for his compositions of Swedish song or lieder, of which he produced over 200. His other well-known compositions include his Symphony No. 1 in C major, Symphony No. 2 in D major, and an opera titled Frondörerna (The Rebels). He was a well-respected friend of Felix Mendelssohn, and had a collaborative relationship with the famous Swedish soprano, Jenny Lind. Biography Born of an “unknown father” in the town of Skänninge on February 1, 1801, he spent most of his early life with his mother and foster-father in the Östergötland province. He started his studies in music at a fairly young age, and primarily studied piano and flute. At the age of fifteen, he gained recognition for composing a flute concerto that was performed in the nearby city of Norrköping in 1816. After achieving his first compositional success, Lindblad was sent by his foster-father to work in a shipping office in Hamburg to learn a trade, at the age of seventeen, but he stayed only a year. Returning to Sweden, he became more determined exclusively on music. Apart from opening a piano school, whic

Adrian Knight (composer)

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Adrian Knight (born 3 January 1987 in Uppsala, Sweden) is a Swedish composer, songwriter and musician living and working in New York City. Between 2006 and 2009 he studied with Pär Lindgren and Jesper Nordin at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, and between 2009 and 2011 with David Lang, Christopher Theofanidis, Martin Bresnick, Ezra Laderman, and Ingram Marshall at the Yale School of Music in New Haven. He is a member of a pop group, Blue Jazz TV, as well as ambient duo Private Elevators and the experimental jazz collective Synthetic Love Dream Ensemble. His music has been performed by the Minnesota Orchestra, the Living Earth Show, the Swedish Wind Ensemble, Red Light New Music, loadbang, Yale Philharmonia and Kungliga Musikhögskolans Symfoniorkester. In 2011, he composed the music for a Yale School of Drama production of Gertrude Stein’s Doctor Faustus Lights the Lights, directed by Lileana Blain-Cruz. Since 2008, he has operated what he calls “the smallest record label in the world”, Pink Pamphlet. Knight’s works are published by Schott Music New York through their new digital initiative Project Schott New York, Svensk Musik and Pink Pamphlet. and the Society of Swedish C

Agatha Rosenius

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Agatha Rosenius (10 September 1814 – 29 August 1874) was a Swedish hymnwriter. Biography She was born Agatha Ulrika Lindberg to county official Erik Lindberg and Elisabeth Catharina (née Nordlund) in Grisbacka, today part of Umeå. She found an active Christian faith at a young age – a belief not shared by her parents and which led to conflict in the home. Preacher Carl Olof Rosenius later visited her hometown, encouraging her in her faith. They both described feeling that God had brought them their future spouse. After corresponding for a time, and after eventually receiving her parents’ approval, the two were married on 2 August 1843 in Umeå by priest A. A. Grafström. She was described by her husband as being satisfied with simple living and not caring for worldly interests, and by others as shy but unforgettable. They had seven children, including painter and , who became a liberal journalist in Karl Staaff and Hjalmar Branting’s circles. The couple was known for their hospitality, often inviting fellow revivalists who were traveling to stay with them. Charlotte af Tibell wrote: Rosenius herself composed a number of songs with religious themes, some of which were published in the

Åke Parmerud

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Åke Parmerud (born 24 July 1953) is a Swedish composer, musician, and multimedia artist noted for his acoustic and electronic works, which have been performed mostly in Europe, Mexico, and Canada. He is also noted for the design of stage and acoustics as well as interactive media and software. He has received recognition for his work from a number of festivals in Europe and has won two Swedish Grammis awards. He has been a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music since 1998. Biography Education Parmerud was born in Lidköping, Sweden. After working as a photographer from 1972 to 1974, Parmerud began his music studies in 1978 at the Högskolan för Scen och Musik (Conservatory of Theatre and Music) at the University of Gothenburg, where his teachers included the electronic-music composer and visual artist Rune Lindblad. He also studied with electronic-music pioneer Lars Gunnar Bodin Electronic Music Studio (EMS) in Stockholm (Peterson 2001; Parmerud n.d.). Career Parmerud has been active since the 1970s in music (instrumental and electro-acoustic), multimedia and interactive art and music for videos, dance and cinema (Anon. 2011a). He has been commissioned to write works for instit

Åke Uddén

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Åke Olof Sebastian Uddén (18 August 1903 – 28 April 1987) was a Swedish violist, composer, conductor and music educator. Uddén was born in Lossa (now Låssa), Upplands-Bro Municipality, Stockholm County. He studied in Stockholm with Henrik Melcher Melchers and Julius Ruthström, and subsequently from 1926 to 1928 with Georges Caussade and Charles Tournemire at the Conservatoire de Paris. Uddén played viola in the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra from 1943 until 1956. He was a teacher of counterpoint at the Royal College of Music from 1934 to 1970, and was also conductor of the Stockholm Academic Orchestra (1955–1985). One of his pupils was composer Hans Eklund. His limited output, influenced by French music, includes a number of orchestral, vocal and chamber music works, among them a string trio written during his studies in Paris, and two string quartets. He died in Stockholm. Selected works ;Orchestral * Nocturne * Vår (Spring) for chamber orchestra * Menuett (1932) * Saraband * Gavotte (1935) * Lustspels-Uvertyr (Comic Overture) (1935, revised 1950) * Introitus academicus (1971) ;Chamber music * String Trio (1928) * Sonata in D major for flute and viola, Op.2 (1931) * Duo “Småprat

Ákos Rózmann

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Ákos Rózmann (; 16 July 1939 – 12 August 2005) was a Hungarian-Swedish composer and organist. Biography Rózmann was born in Budapest, Hungary, on 16 July 1939. He studied composition with Rezső Sugár at the Bartók Béla Secondary School of Music between 1957 and 1961. From 1961 on, he attended the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, studying composition with Endre Szervánszky and organ with Sebestyén Pécsi. He graduated in both subjects in 1966. After gaining his diplomas, he worked as a teacher of score reading at the Teacher’s College of the Liszt Academy in Szeged. At the end of the sixties, he composed film music for Mafilm (Hungarian Film Studios). His Improvisazione for flute and piano was published in 1971 by Editio Musica Budapest. In 1971, he went to Sweden for postgraduate studies in composition. His teacher was Ingvar Lidholm at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm. In the college studio, he discovered the tools of electroacoustic music making. He also started to work in Elektronmusikstudion (EMS, the Stockholm Electroacoustic Music Studio). The first result of his experiments was Impulsioni, a cycle of short electronic pieces from 1974, which won third prize at the Bourges

Albert Schnelzer

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Albert Schnelzer (born 3 June 1972, Värmland) is a Swedish composer. As a youth, Schnelzer was a keyboard player in a rock band. He later became a student at the Malmö Academy of Music from 1994 to 2000. His teachers in Sweden included Sven-David Sandström and Rolf Martinsson, and he was a conducting pupil of Gunnar Staern and Lars Jensen. In the UK, Schnelzer studied music at the Royal College of Music, where his teachers included Julian Anderson. He continued his conducting studies with John Carewe. In 1998, Schnelzer won the “Composer of Tomorrow” competition with the orchestral work Erupto. He joined the Society of Swedish Composers in 2001. He became better known outside of Sweden with his piano trio Predatory Dances, composed on commission from Radio France and premiered at the Présence Festival in 2004. Selected Compositions Orchestral and band works: * Erupto (1998) * Dance Ecstatic (for string orchestra; 2001) * Symphony No. 1 (“Azraeel”; 2006) * A Freak in Burbank (2007) * Azraeel Suite (for wind orchestra; 2008) * Emperor Akbar (for string orchestra; 2009/2010) * Tales from Suburbia (2012) Concertos: * Bassoon Concerto No. 1 (“Auroral Dances”; 2006) * Oboe Concerto (“The

Ale Carr

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Ale Carr is a Swedish multi-instrumentalist, music teacher and composer, known for his work with his Danish trio Dreamers’ Circus and his collaboration with the Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto. Notable instruments includes the Nordic cittern and the träskofiol (clog-fiddle). The Press & Journal has described Carr as “one of the leading players of plucked string instruments within the Nordic folk tradition.” Career In July 2023, Carr appeared at the BBC Proms in London, performing in a presentation of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons with Pekka Kuusisto and the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen at the Royal Albert Hall. According to Scan Magazine, Dreamers’ Circus have collaborated with artists such as The Chieftains, Sharon Shannon, and Japanese composer Yasunori Mitsuda, and have performed with orchestras in Denmark and Sweden. The trio also curate Folkets Festival, a Copenhagen event focused on Nordic folk music and related collaborative performances. Awards * 2008 - Zorn award in silver and the title of riksspelman (national folk musician) in Delsbo, Sweden, for playing violin in the tradition of Skåne * 2013 - Danish Music Awards Folk - Artist of the Year * 2015 - Danish Music Awards F

Alfons Karabuda

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Alfons Karabuda, born 2 December 1967 in Stockholm, Sweden, is a Swedish composer and EU cultural politics personality. Karabuda has been president of ECSA (European Composer and Songwriter Alliance), executive chairman of SKAP (the Swedish Association of Composers, Songwriters & Lyricists) and expert in the field of artistic rights to the UN Human Rights Council. He has also been the president of the UNESCO founded IMC (International Music Council), member of the board of The Royal College of Music in Stockholm, Musiksverige (Music Sweden) and STIM (The Swedish Performing Rights Society) and Svensk Musik (Swedish Music). Karabuda is also chair of the Polar Music Prize Award. As expert to the UN Human Rights Council, Karabuda was part of producing the first ever UNHRC report on artistic rights in 2013. The report was followed by new reports during 2014. As the president of ECSA, Karabuda was a driving force in getting the EU to decide on the new Copyright Directive in 2019 and the formation of a European–American collaboration between the music creator organisations ECSA and SGA (Songwriters Guild of America). The organisations have focused on the global issues of artistic rights,

Allan Pettersson

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Gustaf Allan Pettersson (19 September 1911 – 20 June 1980) was a Swedish composer and violist. He is considered one of the 20th century’s most important Swedish composers and was described as one of the last great symphonists, often compared to Gustav Mahler. Pettersson’s music has a very distinctive sound and can hardly be confused with that of any other 20th-century composer. In the final decade of his life, his symphonies (typically one-movement works) developed an international following, particularly in Germany and Sweden. Of these, his best known work is Symphony No. 7. His music later found success in the United States. Gustaf Allan Pettersson was the youngest of four children. His father, Karl Viktor Pettersson (1875–1952), was a violent, alcoholic blacksmith, in Stockholm’s Södermalm district, where he lived throughout his life. He once said: With his parents and siblings, Pettersson lived in a damp, one-room basement apartment with bars on the window. Through strict self-discipline and with the help of music, Pettersson freed himself from his social misery and difficult family circumstances. He later made two unsuccessful attempts to enter the conservatory of the Royal Sw

Amanda Röntgen-Maier

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Amanda Röntgen-Maier (20 February 1853 – 15 July 1894) was a Swedish violinist and composer. She was the first female to graduate with the title “Musikdirectör” from the Royal College of Music in Stockholm in 1873. Biography Amanda Maier was born into a musical home in Landskrona and discovered her musical talent early. Her first instruction in violin and piano was from her father. At the age of sixteen (1869), Maier began studying at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, where she studied violin, organ, piano, cello, composition and harmony. After graduation, she continued to study composition with the conservatory teachers Reinecke and Richter in Leipzig and violin from Engelbert Röntgen, concert master at Gewandhaus Orchestra in the same city. During this time in Leipzig (1873-76) she composed a violin sonata, a piano trio and a violin concerto for orchestra. Her Violin Concerto in D Minor was premiered in Halle in 1875 with Maier as soloist and received good reviews. It was repeated on 8 February 1876 in Leipzig at the Gewandhaus with Carl Reinecke conducting, and again in Stockholm on 18 November 1876. From 1876 to 1880, she went on three major concert tours. In the summer

Amanda Sandborg Waesterberg

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Amanda Teresia Waesterberg (1842–1918) was a Swedish composer. Biography Amanda (née Sandborg) was born in Stockholm on 16 December 1842 as the daughter of Carl Sandborg (1793−1862), a cantor at Maria Magdalena Church and the Royal Swedish Opera, and his wife Frederica Cecilia (née Hagberg). At her baptism, Jacob Niclas Ahlström, conductor at the Royal Court of Sweden, was one of Amanda’s godfathers. After having received her first music lessons at home together with her siblings, she enrolled in the class choir at the educational institution of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. She was married to Lars Magnus Waesterberg, and became the mother-in-law of the industrialist Fredrik Ljungström. From 1875, under the pen name “A S-g”, Amanda Sandborg Waesterberg composed hundreds of works. She was also active in piano pedagogy. Further reading *Bernskiöld, Hans (1986). “Amanda Sandborg-Waesterberg”. Sjung, av hjärtat sjung (Göteborg, 1986): sid. 67–69. Libris 9221031 *Sköldmark, Katarina (1990). Amanda Sandborg-Waesterberg: 1842–1918 : kort biografi och verkförteckning. Stockholm: Musikvetenskapliga institutionen. Libris 877184 *Bernskiöld, Hans (1992). “‘Vem som helst’: musiksyn och m

Anders Eliasson

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Anders Erik Birger Eliasson (3 April 1947 – 20 May 2013 ) was a Swedish composer. Life Eliasson was born in Borlänge. His “earliest musical experiences originated from within myself: they were my own singing, and familiar tunes I heard on the radio. No classical music.” Marching his toy soldiers up and down, he used to imagine sounds, learning only later to describe them as an orchestra. Aged 9, he began the trumpet, started up a small jazz orchestra (two clarinets, trombone, rhythm section, guitar, trumpet), and aged 10 he was writing arrangements. A jazz bass-player, “an unbelievable musician”, taught him chords. Aged 14, he went to an organist, Uno Sandén, to learn harmony and counterpoint. Aged 16 he went for private study in Stockholm to “the wonderful Valdemar Söderholm”, who “confronted me once more with real music” – music such as he had first heard aged about 12. “The first real piece of music” which Eliasson heard “on a gramophone record was Haydn’s Symphony No. 104.” Under Söderholm, he studied counterpoint: there followed five years’ intensive work on Palestrina, Orlando di Lasso and above all Johann Sebastian Bach, “the highest form of energy with which it’s possible t

Anders Hillborg

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Per Anders Hillborg (born 31 May 1954 ) is one of Sweden’s leading composers. Education Anders Hillborg was born in Sollentuna, and studied composition, counterpoint and electronic music at the Kungliga Musikhögskolan in Stockholm from 1976 to 1982. His teachers were Gunnar Bucht, Lars-Erik Rosell, Arne Mellnäs and Pär Lindgren. An important source of inspiration was Brian Ferneyhough who was a visiting professor at the time. Career Apart from some minor teaching positions, professor in composition at Musikhögskolan i Malmö 1990 and masterclasses, Hillborg has been a freelance composer since 1982. His output is vast and covers genres as orchestral, choir, chamber works as well as film and popular music. An example of his work in the popular realm is his collaboration with Eva Dahlgren, which resulted in the album Jag vill se min älskade komma från det vilda (1995). The project was first presented at the Helsinki Festival with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen. His collaboration with Salonen has resulted in numerous works, among others Dreaming River (premiered by the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra in 1999), Eleven Gates (2005–06) premiered

Andi Almqvist

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Andi Almqvist (born 2 July 1968) is a Swedish singer, musician and composer known for his dark, cinematic sound and haunting lyrics. Almqvist has released six solo albums, Can’t Stop Laughing (2005), Red Room Stories (2007), Glimmer (2009), Warsaw Holiday (2013), Tiltad (2018) and Not Too Far From Happy (2024). Touring Andi Almqvist has toured extensively over the years, headlining or supporting artists like Woven Hand, Mark Lanegan, Holly Golightly, Kaizer’s Orchestra, B.B. King, The Blind Boys of Alabama and Bettye LaVette among others. Almqvist has played many of Europe’s big festivals, such as Eurosonic Festival (Holland), Les Ardentes (Belgium), Spot Festival (Denmark), Dias Nordicos (Spain), Peace & Love (Sweden), and Hultsfred Festival (Sweden). Miscellaneous During July and August 2010, Almqvist’s song Low-Dive Jenny was the most downloaded on well-known American music magazine Paste Magazine’s website. In May 2011 the documentary “The Misadventures of Andi Almqvist” aired on Swedish national television. The film was released on DVD in November 2011. In February 2012, Almqvist’s song Big Bad Black Dog Blues was featured in American TV-series Justified, episode 5, season 3.

Andreas Düben

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Andreas Düben (c. 1597 – 7 July 1662) was a Swedish Baroque composer and organist, and father of Gustaf Düben. Early life Born in Leipzig, Saxony, into the Düben family, which would later be renowned for its contributions to classical music. He was the son of Andreas Düben, who was the organist at the St. Thomas Church, and Elisabeth Bessler, or Bletzchen, who was born in Wurzen. He was appointed conductor of that same group in 1640. He composed a cantata, Pugna triumphalis, on the occasion of the death of Gustavus Adolphus. References

Andreas Hallén

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Johan Andreas Hallén (22 December 1846 – 11 March 1925) was a Swedish Romantic composer, conductor and music teacher, primarily known for his operas, which were heavily influenced by Richard Wagner’s music dramas. Hallén was born in Gothenburg and died in Stockholm, but the early years of his career and most of his education were in Germany. Like his Norwegian contemporary Edvard Grieg and many other composers the same generation, Hallén frequently evokes the folk music and folk stories of his home country in his compositions. According to the musicologist Axel Helmer, however, “The salient feature of his style … , and the one which strongly affected contemporary reaction, is its close, almost derivative relationship to German music,” especially Wagner. Around 1885, Hallén returned to Sweden and continued to conduct and compose, and in later years taught composition at the Stockholm Conservatory. Works Operas *Harald der Wiking (1881) *Harald Viking (1884) (Revised and translated version of Harald der Wiking) *Hexfällan (Witch’s trap) (1896) *Waldemarsskatten (Valdemar’s Treasure) (1899) *Valborgsmässa (Walpurgis Night) (1902) (Revised version of Hexfällan) References External li

Andreas Randel

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Andreas Randel (6 October 1806 – 27 October 1864) was a Swedish composer and violinist. The overture to his The People from Vårmland was recorded by Kungliga Hovkapellet Stig Westerburg. Biography Randel got his last name from Ramdala parish; he was originally called Pettersson. He worked as a concertmaster at the Royal Swedish Opera, regiment musician and was a professor at the Royal Swedish Academy of Music when he died. Randel learned to play pole shoes and hymns on a violin he got from a wandering player. In 1818 he came to Karlskrona where he was noted for his talent, among others by free lord Gerhard De Geer, who raised him together with his own sons. In 1821, with the support of Crown Prince Oscar, he traveled to Paris to study violin playing for Pierre Baillot and composition for Luigi Cherubini. He returned to Stockholm with a high rating in 1828, and immediately got a position as violinist. In 1838 he became second concertmaster in the court chapel and in 1861 first chaplain. Since 1844 he had been a violin teacher and from 1859 a professor at the Royal Swedish Academy of Music, where he had become a member in 1837. For several years he worked as music director of the 2nd

Antonio Tublén

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Antonio Tublén is a Swedish film director, screenwriter, composer, and author. Career Tublén began his career with short films: Hollywood (2004), Havanna (2005), and The Amazing Death of Mrs Müller (2006), co-directed with Alexander Brøndsted. He followed with LFO (2013), which premiered at Fantastic Fest. The film was produced by Pingpongfilm and SpectreVision with Elijah Wood. It sold to Netflix worldwide. In 2017, he directed the psychological thriller Robin, followed by the English-language horror-comedy Zoo (2018) starring Ed Speelers and Zoë Tapper. Released by Seville International and eOne. Got picked up by HBO/MAX. In 2025, Tublén debuted as a novelist with the psychological thriller Antagonisten, published by Bokfabriken; the novel received positive reviews in the Swedish press. Filmography * Original (2009) – Writer, Director * LFO (2013) – Writer, Director * Zoo (2018) – Writer, Director Reception Original was praised for its Nordic tone and influences from directors such as Roy Andersson and Aki Kaurismäki. Writing for fantasticfest.com, Todd Brown called LFO “a clever, totally lo-fi science fiction dramedy” that “delights in a good idea executed well,” praising Tublén

Åse Hedstrøm

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Åse Hedstrøm (born 17 April 1950 in Moss) is a Norwegian contemporary composer. Life and career Åse Hedstrøm studied music at the Institute of Sonology in Utrecht, and composition at the Norwegian State Academy of Music. She continued her studies in Stockholm with composer Sven-David Sandström. After completing her studies, Hedstrøm received a three-year working grant from the state in 1987, and began composing full-time. She received the Norwegian Society of Composers’ Work of the Year award for the chamber music work Right After in 1985 and for the string quartet Sorti in 1989. Parallel to her compositional career, Hedstrøm has also been active as an organizer and coordinator on the Norwegian music scene, beginning in 1978 when she was appointed as director for NyMusikk (the Norwegian section of ISDM). I the time-frame 1983 to 1987, Hedstrøm was the music co-ordinator for Henie Onstad Kunstsenter which resulted in a number of contemporary music concerts and festivals at the art centre. From 1994 to 1998, Hedstrøm served as director and artistic leader for the Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival. From 1999 to 2002, Hedstrøm was the director of the Stockholm Concert Hall and th

August Söderman

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Johan August Söderman (17 July 1832 – 10 February 1876) was a Swedish composer. He was born and died in Stockholm, and has traditionally been seen as the pre-eminent Swedish composer of the Romantic generation, known especially for his lieder and choral works, based on folk material, and for his theatre music, such as the incidental music to Ludvig Josephson’s Marsk Stigs döttrar (Marshal Stig’s daughter"), 1866, or his Svenskt festspel (“Swedish Festival Music”). Biography The son of a musical father and he was a pupil of the Royal Swedish Academy in Stockholm, he studied piano, but mastered the oboe and violin as well. In 1856–57 he studied counterpoint at the Leipzig Conservatory with Ernst Richter; there, in a musical culture that bore the imprint of Mendelssohn, he became familiar with the music of Robert Schumann and also with that of Richard Wagner. On his return to Stockholm he worked as a theatre conductor, and at the Royal Swedish Opera as choirmaster and eventually assistant conductor. He wrote several operettas (The Devil’s First Try, 1856) and incidental music for about 80 plays, such as a Swedish translation of Schiller’s Die Jungfrau von Orleans (“The Maid of Orleans

Aurore von Haxthausen

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Aurore von Haxthausen (Gustava Charlotta Märta Aurora: 1830 – 7 February 1888), known also by her artist pseudonym as Klara or Clara Kuhlman, was a Swedish author, composer, pianist and lady in waiting. She composed a march that was played at the opening of Parliament for some years, and wrote several novels. History Von Haxthausen was born in Daretorp in Västergötland, the daughter of the State Councillor (swedish: statsråd) and Governor (swedish: landshövding) of Halland County, Baron Carl Henrik Gyllenhaal and Aurore af Nordin. Her father died during a cholera outbreak in 1857, and it was after that that von Haxthausen was appointed as a lady-in-waiting to the Crown Princess. Aurore von Haxthausen wrote several compositions for piano which was given on public concerts, although few of her compositions were written down. One of them, a marchm was, for several years, often played during the annual opening of parliament. She also published a collection of novels: Från svenska hem (1883–84). Her writing is mostly based around her childhood memories. Her composition Vid lifvets afton was played at her funeral. Selected works *Från svenska hem: pennritningar / af Klara Kuhlmann. Stock

Bengt Hambraeus

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Bengt Hambraeus (29 January 1928 – 21 September 2000) was a Swedish-Canadian organist, composer and musicologist. Biography Hambraeus was born in Stockholm. He studied organ with Alf Linder and musicology with Carl-Allan Moberg, earning his doctorate in 1956 on a thesis about medieval musical notation. From 1957 to 1972 he worked at the music department of the Swedish Radio, eventually holding executive and producer posts, and during this time became a very high-profile emissary of new music in Sweden, encouraging discussion of new musical forms, a renewal of organ music with new tonal/technical concepts and the integration of performance art, improvisation, live electronics and stereo/spatial effects into traditional concert performing. He was also a prolific composer. In 1972 he became professor of composition at McGill University, Montreal, and he remained in Canada until his death in Glen Roy, Ontario, in 2000. Among his notable pupils are composer Peter Allen and pianist Richard Hunt. He was elected into the Royal Swedish Academy of Music in 1967 and received the Swedish Royal Medal Litteris et Artibus in 1986. Hambraeus wrote music for a large number of instruments, but he is

Benjamin Staern

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Benjamin Staern (born 6 December 1978) is a Swedish composer. He was born in Gothenburg, the son of Gunnar Staern. Education Staern studied in his childhood cello, piano and percussion at the local music school in Malmö. During his studies in musicology at Lund University and before he felt that composition proved to be an interesting path to pursue. The following year he was accepted at the composition department at Musikhögskolan in Malmö, where he studied during the years 1998 to 2005 with professors Rolf Martinsson, Hans Gefors, Kent Olofsson (electronic music), Björn-Tryggve Johansson (instrumentation and counterpoint), Per Mårtensson and Lars Sandberg. During his masters his main professor was Luca Francesconi. He was awarded a Diploma of Fine Arts and Music at the latter mentioned academy. Career Staern’s music has been performed at festivals for new music, such as Ung Nordisk Musik, Stockholm New Music and Sirenfestivalen in Gothenburg. In August 2006, his work The Threat of War was performed twice by the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra in Stockholm Concert Hall, conducted by Michael Christie. Staern also received grants from the Swedish Royal Musical Academy, Helge

Benny Andersson

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Göran Bror Benny Andersson (; born 16 December 1946) is a Swedish musician, composer and producer best known as a member of the pop group ABBA and co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia! For the 2008 film version of Mamma Mia! and its 2018 sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, he also worked as an executive producer. Since 2001, he has been active with his own band Benny Anderssons orkester. Early life Göran Bror Benny Andersson was born 16 December 1946 in the Vasastan district of Stockholm to civil engineer Gösta Andersson (1912–1973) and his wife Laila (1920–1971). His sister Eva-Lis Andersson followed in 1948. Andersson’s musical interest was spurred by his father and grandfather (Efraim), who played the accordion. At the age of six, they bought him one, too, and introduced him to Swedish folk music, traditional music, and schlager. The first records he owned were “Du Bist Musik” by Italian schlager singer Caterina Valente and Elvis Presley’s “Jailhouse Rock”. He was especially impressed by the flip side, “Treat Me Nice”, as this featured a piano. This variety of different kinds of music influenced him through the years. At ten, Andersson got hi

Bernhard Crusell

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Bernhard Henrik Crusell (15 October 1775 – 28 July 1838) was a Finland-Swedish clarinetist, composer and translator, “the most significant and internationally best-known Finnish-born classical composer and indeed, – the outstanding Finnish composer before Sibelius”. Early life and training Crusell was born in Uusikaupunki (Nystad), Finland, into a poor family of bookbinders. His grandfather, Bernhard Kruselius had learned the trade of bookbinding in Turku and Stockholm, then settled in Pori where he fathered nine children, including Crusell’s father Jakob, who also became a bookbinder. In 1765, after Jakob completed his apprenticeship, he moved to Uusikaupunki and married Helena Ylander, but she died about one year later. In 1769 he married Margaretha Messman. The couple had four children, but Bernhard was the only one who lived to become an adult. Later in life Crusell described this period of his life, writing in the third person: In his little town of birth there was only one person who had an active interest in music: a shop assistant who could be heard in the evenings playing the flute for his own amusement. One night, the four-year-old Berndt was sitting in the street, leanin

Bertha Tammelin

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Bertha Carolina Mathilda Tammelin (; 21 March 1836 – 2 January 1915 ) was a Swedish actress, operatic mezzo-soprano, pianist, composer and drama teacher. Her mother was actress Karolina Bock. Tammelin taught at the Royal Dramatic Training Academy, where two of her notable students were Ellen Hartman and Ebba Lindkvist. Life Bertha Tammelin was born in Stockholm, the daughter of actress Karolina Bock and a musician of Kungliga Hovkapellet, C. Bock. She was educated at the Royal Dramatic Training Academy 1853–1855 and hired at the Royal Swedish Opera and at the Royal Dramatic Theatre as a premier actress in 1856. She performed both operatic parts and dramatic parts. As an actress, her most noted part was Ingrid in Bröllopet på Ulvåsa by Frans Hedberg, and as a singer, Puck in Oberon. References

Betty Boije

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Betty Natalie Boije af Gennäs (14 February 1822 - 14 November 1854), was a Swedish–Finnish opera and concert singer (contralto) and composer. Biography Boije was born on 14 February 1822 in Jakobstad, Grand Duchy of Finland to the Swedish nobleman Klas Otto Boije af Gennäs and Marianna Horn af Rantzien. Through her father Boije was a member of the family. Boije was one of eight children and was the sister of the pianist . Boije was raised in Finland, were her father had a position at the customs office of Pori. Betty Boije debuted as a concert singer in Turku in 1847. From 1847 to 1848, Boije was a student of the Swedish composer . She made a successful tour as a concert singer in Turku, Helsinki, Reval and Saint Petersburg. In 1849, she made her debut in Stockholm in Sweden. She was active as an opera singer at the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm in 1850-1851. She was described as an excellent alto and was given particular praise as Nancy in Martha, in which she made such a success that she was made to act in it again and again. She herself chose to leave the stage and return her profession as a concert singer. She performed in Finland, Denmark and Norway. In 1853-54, she toured

Bo Linde

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Anders Bo Leif Linde (1 January 1933 – 2 October 1970) was a Swedish composer whose style resembled that of notable 20th-century neoclassical composers like Benjamin Britten and Samuel Barber. Born in Gävle, Linde studied music theory with Eric Harald Bengtson before enrolling at the Royal Swedish Academy of Music in 1948, where he studied composition with Lars-Erik Larsson and piano with Olof Wibergh. In 1953, one year after leaving the academy, he went to Vienna to study conducting and traveled around Europe before returning to Sweden. His most performed pieces are his violin concerto, and his Preludio E finale for string orchestra of 1955. His piano concertos display a raucous humour, also found in his children’s opera for radio Slotts-skoj (1959). Works Symphonies * Symphony No. 1 (Sinfonia fantasia), op. 1 (1951) * Symphony No. 2 (dedicated to the Lions Club of Gävle), op. 23 (1960) * Symphony No. 3 Piano Concertos * Piano Concerto in E major (without op.9 (1950-51) * Piano Concerto No. 1, op.12 (1954) * Piano Concerto No. 2, op. 17 (1956) Other Orchestral Works * Cello Concerto (written for Guido Vecchi), op. 29 (1964-65) * Violin Concerto (dedicated to Josef Grunfard), op. 1

Bo Nilsson

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Bo Nilsson (1 May 1937 – 25 June 2018) was a Swedish composer and lyricist. Career Bo Nilsson was born in Skellefteå, and first drew notice as a composer at the age of 18 when his Zwei Stücke (Two Pieces) for flute, bass clarinet, percussion, and piano were performed in a 1956 Westdeutscher Rundfunk “Musik der Zeit” concert in Cologne. He had taught himself composition by listening to the radio, having previously had only basic training from a local music teacher and some experience as a jazz pianist. Though his early style owes much to Pierre Boulez and Karlheinz Stockhausen, it also displays a number of personal features: the use of bright percussion sounds behind finely wrought vocal or flute (usually alto flute) lines, a “nervous” fluttering of tonal nuances, and a feeling for miniature, calculated forms. Because he has chosen to live in the small town of Malmberget, he received the journalistic epithet “the genius from Malmberget”. By 1957 Nilsson remained largely unknown in his own country, but had attracted considerable attention in Germany with a succession of small chamber-music compositions characterised by their unusual instrumentation. The best-known of these is Frequen

Bror Beckman

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Bror Beckman (2 February 1866 – 22 July 1929) was a Swedish composer, treasurer to the Royal Swedish Academy of Music and principal of the Royal College of Music. Stylistically he was strongly influenced by Carl Nielsen and other contemporary Nordic composers. Among his compositions, his symphony in F major has been singled out, together with several pieces for piano, as particularly lasting. Biography Bror Beckman was born in Kristinehamn. His grandfather was the pastor and hymn writer . After finishing upper secondary school, his first job was in a music shop in Kristiania (present-day Oslo) in 1884. Later the same year he moved to Stockholm, to work in a music shop there. In 1888 he started working as a clerk in an insurance company, a job he would keep until 1909. In parallel he pursued studies in musical composition for 1885–1890. During this time, he made lifelong friends with several other young Swedish composers: Harald Fryklöf, and . After finishing his studies he immediately took up teaching counterpoint at a musical institute in Stockholm run by . In 1893 the first musical composition by Beckman was printed. He received a state-sponsored scholarship in 1894 and made a st

Carin Bartosch Edström

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Carin Bartosch Edström (born 1965 in Malmö) is a Swedish composer and author, and is especially interested in opera. Biography Bartosch Edström had an international upbringing. Though she spent some time in the United States, she lived in Rome, Italy and Lund, Sweden for most of her childhood. While in Italy, she received voice training. Bartosch Edström studied composition with Rolf Martinsson, Hans Gefors, Lars Ekström, Lars-Erik Rosell, and Sven-David Sandström. She graduated from Lund University’s Malmö Academy of Music in 1999 with a degree in composition. She founded the Skanör/Falsterbo chamber music festival and was director of the Musica Vitae chamber music orchestra in Växjö from 1990 to 1992. In 2000, she was elected to the Society of Swedish Composers. In 2011, Edström’s debut crime novel, Furioso, was published. It followed the action surrounding the lives of a Swedish female string quartet. Compositions ;Stage *Trassel på tråden, Opera (1999); libretto by the composer *Huvudsaken (The Main Thing), Opera in one act (2005); libretto by Kerstin Perski ;Orchestral *Playtime for string orchestra (1996) ;Wind band *Cyd Cybersonix Meets Webby Web Webster (1998) ;Concertante

Carl Bertil Agnestig

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Carl Bertil Agnestig (né Andersson; 7 March 1924 – 14 July 2019) was a Swedish music teacher and composer. He was son to engineer Anders Ruben (Andersson) Agnestig (1897–1982) and Karin, née Grahn (1904–1990). He’s represented in Den svenska psalmboken (1986) with two works. Carl-Bertil Agnestig was married for a time with Alfhild Kerstin Linnéa Burman (1920–2010) before he married Agneta Åkerfeldt (born 1932). Agnestig has two sons. References

Carl Jonas Love Almqvist

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Carl Jonas Love Ludvig Almqvist (28 November 1793 – 26 September 1866) was a Swedish author, romantic poet, romantic critic of political economy, realist, composer and social critic. Biography Carl Jonas Love Almqvist was born in Stockholm, Sweden. He was the son of War Commissioner Karl Gustav Almqvist (1768–1846) and Birgitta Lovisa Gjörwell (1768–1806), daughter of journalist and editor Carl Christoffer Gjörwell Sr. (1731–1811). Almqvist’s younger half-brother was Director-General Gustavus Fridolf Almquist (1814–1886), who was the father of Agnes Hammarskjöld. He studied at Uppsala University and then worked as a clerk in Stockholm. In 1823 he gave up his post, and in the autumn of the following year moved to Adolfsfors-Köla in northern Värmland where he and some friends, inspired by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, intended to live out a rural idyll. It was there in 1824, that he married Anna Maria Andersdotter Lundström (1799–1868) and had two children. In 1828, he became a teacher at the experimental school Nya Elementar in Stockholm, where he was rector there from 1829 to 1841. Almqvist was ordained as a pastor in 1837, but could not find work, and after publishing Det går an in 1839

Carl Ludvig Lithander

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Carl Ludvig Lithander (26 January 1773 – 17 December 1843) Carl Ludvig Lithander appears to have stayed briefly in Königsberg, as he is listed as enrolled at the university there; in 1790 he however enrolled in Uppsala University in mainland Sweden. The following year he resided with an uncle in the Swedish capital Stockholm, left the university and joined the military instead. He graduated as an officer specialised in fortification in 1795. He thus never reached Turku and Finland, but kept in close contact with his siblings who had settled there, and who shared his musical interests. For example, he facilitated the procurement of a new piano, made in Stockholm, for the on their behalf. From 1804 he was employed as a teacher of mathematics at the Military Academy Karlberg, where he also was granted living quarters, and from 1809 as a lecturer in geometry and trigonometry. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in 1812, but two years later left active military service. During his time in the military, he also took music lessons from Georg Joseph Vogler and Johann Christian Friedrich Hæffner, and began producing musical compositions himself. Between 1801 and 1814 he was organist a

Christian Geist

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Christian Geist (c. 1650 – 27 September 1711) was a German composer and organist, who lived and worked mainly in Scandinavia. Biography He was born in Güstrow, where his father, Joachim Geist, was cantor at the cathedral school. From 1665–1666 and 1668–1669 he was a boy member of the court orchestra conducted by Daniel Danielis (1635-1696) of Duke Gustav Adolph of Mecklenburg-Güstrow. He was a bass singer at the Danish court music ensemble in Copenhagen in 1669 and in June 1670 moved to the Swedish court orchestra under Gustaf Düben the elder (ca. 1628-1690), a position he held until June 1679, having applied unsuccessfully for the position of choirmaster of St. John’s in Hamburg in 1674. He became organist of the German church in Gothenburg, and in November 1684 moved to Copenhagen, where he succeeded J.M. Radeck as organist of the Helligaandskirke, a post he held to his death, and also the Trinitatis Church, after marrying his widow Magdalena Sibylla in May 1685 (a practice by no means rare). He succeeded Johann Lorentz as organist of the Church of Holmen in Copenhagen in 1689. He died, with his third wife and all their children, of the bubonic plague. Music Sixty of his vocal wo

Christian Lindberg

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Christian Lindberg (born 15 February 1958) is a Swedish trombonist, conductor and composer. Biography Early life and career Lindberg was born in Danderyd. As a youth, he learned to play the trumpet, and subsequently began to learn the trombone at age 16. He originally borrowed a trombone to join his friends’ Dixieland jazz group, inspired by records of Jack Teagarden. He attended the Royal Swedish Academy of Music, where his teachers included Sven-Erik Eriksson. By age 18, he had obtained a professional position in the Royal Swedish Opera Orchestra. At age 20, he left his orchestral career behind to study to become a full-time soloist. He studied with John Iveson at the Royal College of Music (1979–1980) and with Ralph Sauer and Roger Bobo in Los Angeles (1983). Professional career In 1981, Lindberg won the Nordic Soloists’ Biennale competition. His concert debut was in 1984 with the Trombone Concerto by Henri Tomasi. That same year, he signed a 3-CD recording contract with BIS Records. His first solo recording was “The Virtuoso Trombone”. Lindberg has recorded over 60 albums, for BIS and several other labels. His musical collaborators in Sweden have included pianist Roland Pöntine

Christian Ritter

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Christian Ritter (probably 1645 to 1650 – probably after 1725) was a composer and organist of the North German organ school. Biography Ritter, likely a pupil of Christoph Bernhard in Dresden. A notice on one of his works described him as Kammerorganist (chamber organist) in Halle in 1666, although this position does not appear in the records until 1672. In 1677 he was the Hoforganist (court organist). The composer David Pohle was Kapellmeister at Halle during these years. Ritter may have left Halle in 1677, as the role of Kammerorganist was filled by Johann Philipp Krieger that year. Some years later he went to Sweden. In 1681, he was mentioned on a record of the Stockholm court, a year later as deputy Kapellmeister. Ritter went back to Dresden in 1683, becoming Kammerorganist and deputy Kapellmeister under Christoph Bernhard. In 1688, he was evidently back in Stockholm as Kapellmeister, remaining there until 1699. According to a detail on a vocal work, Ritter was living in Hamburg in 1704. In 1717, he described himself in a letter to Johann Mattheson as “Emeritus, who did his part at the royal, electoral and princely courts for more than 30 years in re musica”. Works As well as mo

Claude Loyola Allgén

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Claude Loyola Allgén (16 April 1920 – 18 September 1990), officially Claude Johannes Maria Klas Thure Allgén, was a Swedish composer. Background and early life Allgén was born in Calcutta. His family lived briefly in Pixbo (1926-1929) and then Gothenburg before moving to Djursholm, where Allgén spent most of his childhood. At age 12-13 he began studying the violin but soon switched to viola and at sixteen was accepted into the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. Here Allgén studied counterpoint with Melcher Melchers and viola with Charles Barkel. During the 1940s Allgén belonged to the ’Monday Group’ (Måndagsgruppen) along with other radical modernist composers such as Karl-Birger Blomdahl, Sven-Erik Bäck and Hans Leygraf. However, Allgén overestimated the importance of his role in the group. In 1941 he graduated from the Academy of Music and sought further studies with Hilding Rosenberg, but found little encouragement from his tutelage. Religious conversion Due to his conversion to Roman Catholicism Allgén changed his formal first name in 1950, choosing to adopt the names Claude Johannes Maria after a number of saints. He added Loyola after his Catholic confirmation, during which the

Dag Wirén

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Dag Ivar Wirén (15 October 1905 – 19 April 1986) was a Swedish composer. Best known for his Serenade for Strings (1937), his career was mainly spent in Stockholm, aside from a stint in Paris during his early studies. Life and career Wirén was born at Striberg near Nora on 15 October 1905. His father had a roller blind factory, and there were various musical activities in the family home; he took piano lessons, and was a student at the Karolinska school in Örebro, and played the bass drum and celesta in the town orchestra. Wirén studied at the Stockholm conservatory from 1926 to 1931, which gave him much exposure to music from all periods; hearing Arthur Honegger’s oratorio King David in 1927 was an important experience. In 1934, Wirén moved to Stockholm with his bride, the Irish cellist, Noel Franks, whom he had met in Paris; their daughter, Annika, was born in 1947. He was music critic at the “Svenska Morgonbladet” from 1938 to 1946, and in 1947 became vice-chairman of the Society of Swedish Composers. From 1948, he spent summers on the island of Björkö, in Stockholm’s archipelago. He served as a member of the board of directors of the Royal Swedish Opera from 1962 to 1971. His TV

Dan Sundquist

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Thord Dan Rickard Sundqvist (born September 10, 1958) is a Swedish music producer, songwriter and composer. He is best known for Reeperbahn’s Venuspassagen, Jakob Hellman’s, “och stora havet”, Wilmer X’s #1 hit “Vem får nu se alla tårar”, Anne-Lie Rydé’s Stulna Kyssar, Uno Svenningsson’s “Under ytan”, Melody Club’s debut, and #1 hit “Electric”. His work as film composer includes the American film Whitney, and as a producer of musicals includes Livet Är En Schlager and I Love Musicals. Sundquist has produced over 70 albums with 15 #1 hits in Sweden, numerous top 10’s, and 18 Gold and 11 Platinum certifications. He has seven Swedish Grammy Awards, including Producer of The Year, and three nominations. Early life and education Dan Sundquist was born to Swedish parents in Stockholm, Sweden and grew up in Näsby Park, Rågsved, Vikarbyn, Hägersten and Vaxholm, Sweden as well as in Barcelona, Spain. Having other musicians in his family led to him developing an early interest in music and the arts. He started playing the guitar at age 7 and the piano at age 11. After a year in Nyckelviksskolan Art School in 1976, he decided to quit art studies and start his band, called “Reeperbahn” with co

Ebbe Grims-land

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Ebbe Grims-land Ebbe Grims-land (June 11, 1915 – January 27, 2015) was a Swedish composer and viola player. He was also one of Sweden’s foremost mandolin players. Grims-land was born in Malmö and died in Bagarmossen, Enskede, Stockholm. Grims-land made his debut as violinist in Malmö in 1932 and has studied in Copenhagen, Stockholm and Vienna. From 1943 until 1974, he was a violist with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and other Stockholm ensembles. Grims-land’s first compositions written in the 1930s, were for chamber orchestra. He was an early member of Föreningen Svenska Tonsättare (FST) (The Society of Swedish Composers). In 2005 he became an honorary member of the chamber music association Samtida Musik (Contemporary Music), founded 1960 and situated in Stockholm. Selected compositions His oeuvre includes more than 200 compositions. ;Orchestra * Sinfonie-Carl Linnéus ;Concert band * Scherzo-Polka (symphonic brass band) * Bad’ner-Kurpark-Tradition (spa orchestra / symphonic brass band) * Bläser-Blues (marimba, brass band) ;Concertante * Concertino for mandolin and 10 instruments * Montafoni (D-trumpet) * Klingender Baum (Marimba) * Concerto for flute and clarinet ;Instrumen

Édouard Du Puy

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Jean Baptiste Édouard Louis Camille Du Puy (17703 April 1822) was a Principality of Neuchâtel-born singer, composer, director, and violinist. He lived and worked in Copenhagen and Stockholm from 1793 until his death in 1822. Early years Édouard Du Puy was born in Corcelles-Cormondrèche, Principality of Neuchâtel, around the year 1770, although sources differ on the exact year. From the age of four, he was raised by his uncle, a city musician in Geneva, Republic of Geneva. Edouard later took the last name of this uncle. Seeing that his nephew had talent, the uncle made sure that Edouard received a musicial education. In 1786, Du Puy was sent to Paris, where he was taught to play the piano by Jan Ladislav Dussek, and the violin by François Chabran. In 1789, he was appointed concertmaster at the court of Heinrich of Prussia in Rheinsberg, replacing J. A. P. Schulz, who was called to Denmark as a choir director at the Royal Danish Orchestra (Danish: Det Kongelige Kapel). Du Puy worked in Rheinsberg for four years while studying harmonies under Carl Friedrich Christian Fasch. Stockholm and Copenhagen Still in his early twenties, in 1793 Du Puy traveled throughout the Holy Roman Empire,

Eduard Tubin

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Eduard Tubin ( – 17 November 1982) was an Estonian composer, conductor, and choreographer. Life Tubin was born in Torila, Tartu County, Governorate of Livonia, then part of the Russian Empire. Both his parents were music lovers, and his father played trombone in the village band. His first taste of music came at school where he learned the flute. Later, his father swapped a cow for a piano, and the young Eduard soon became known in the village for his playing. Eduard also played flute in the village orchestra. Tubin entered the Tartu Teacher’s College in the newly independent Estonia in 1920. It was here he began to take an interest in composition. In 1924 he was admitted to the Tartu Higher Music School starting his studies under the guidance of the famous Estonian composer Heino Eller. He married a fellow student Linda Pirn in 1930. Their son Rein was born in 1932. Tubin took up work conducting in the Vanemuine theatre. During this time he also conducted one of the best-known male choirs and made several trips abroad. In 1938, he met Zoltán Kodály in Hungary, who encouraged his interest in folk songs. In 1941, he married the ballet dancer Elfriede Saarik (Erika). Their son Eino w

Edvin Kallstenius

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Edvin Kallstenius (29 August 1881 – 22 November 1967) was a Swedish composer and librarian. He arranged the traditional folk tune used as the de facto national anthem of Sweden, Du gamla, Du fria. Life and career Born in Filipstad, Kallstenius studied natural sciences at Lund University from 1898–1903, then music at the Leipzig Conservatory under Stephan Krehl from 1904–1907. As music librarian at Sveriges Radio from 1928–1946, he made a significant contribution in the field of music administration in Sweden. He also served on the Board of the Society of Swedish Composers from 1933–1961 (as treasurer 1933–1943), and was on the board of the Swedish Performing Rights Society from 1932–1957. Kallstenius achieved an individual style and avoided using only tonal language by devising intense melodies reinforced with imaginative harmony. He declared that his “musical religion is called harmonics – everything else is secondary” and from this basis he worked out his “meticulously declamed themes”. Although in later works he employed his own personal interpretation of serial style, he also composed charming versions of older Swedish music. He died in Stocksund, Stockholm. Selected compositio

Elfrida Andrée

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Elfrida Andrée (19 February 1841 – 11 January 1929) was a Swedish organist, composer, and conductor. Her sister was the singer Fredrika Stenhammar. Life and career Early life and education Andrée was born on 19 February 1841 in Visby to the doctor Andreas Andrée and Lovisa Lyth, both of whom were actively involved in musical pursuits. Activism In Sweden at the time Andrée was ready to begin her career, unmarried women over the age of twenty-five were barred from holding permanent positions as church organists. Both Elfrida and her father repeatedly lobbied the Swedish parliament to change the law, and eventually succeeded in 1861. she was one of the first female organists to be officially appointed in Scandinavia. Career Andrée began work in Stockholm in 1861 and became the organist at Gothenburg Cathedral in 1867, where she remained the organist until her death. In 1897 she was named leader of the Gothenburg Workers Institute Concerts, establishing her reputation as the first Swedish woman to conduct a symphony orchestra. Reportedly, she fainted upon hearing the news of her appointment. During her career, she won the Litteris et Artibus award in 1895, as well as the Idun “Women’s

Ellen Arkbro

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Ellen Arkbro (born 1990) is a Swedish composer, sound artist and musician working with precision-tuned harmony in frameworks such as just intonation and meantone temperament. Having primarily composed for and performed on pipe organ, Arkbro’s work has also included pieces for other acoustic instruments and sound synthesis. She has released several studio albums, beginning with For Organ and Brass (2017), in additional to several collaborative works. Early life Arkbro was born in Stockholm and grew up singing in choir school, playing in bands, and eventually studying jazz as a singer. As a 20 year old, Arkbro went on to study at Elektronmusikstudion, and later received a degree in composition of electronic music from the Royal College of Music in Stockholm. As part of earning that degree, Arkbro spent time in Berlin studying composition with Marc Sabat in Berlin, studies which focused on the theory and practice of tuning. In 2014, Arkbro studied privately with La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela in New York. Recordings For Organ and Brass For her 2017 debut album For Organ and Brass, Arkbro uses the Sherer-Orgel organ at St. Stephen’s Church in Tangermünde, Germany, an instrument dati

Emilie Holmberg

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Emilie Augusta Kristina Hammarskjöld née Holmberg (May 6, 1821 – March 26, 1854) was a Swedish composer and musician. She was active as a concert singer, a pianist and a music instructor. She was a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. She was likely the first woman artist from Sweden to have toured in the United States, prior to Jenny Lind. In Sweden, she is generally known only as Emilie Holmberg, as she left the country shortly after her marriage. Life Emilie Holmberg was born in Stockholm, Sweden to merchant Carl Christian Holmberg and Aurora Emelie Hellgren. Her parents divorced in 1823, and she was supported by her mother, a successful businesswoman who founded and managed her own library. Education Early on, her mother noted her interest in music, and ensured she was given a musical education. She was entrusted by her mother to the care of the composer Eduard Brendler and his wife Ulrica (Bouck) Brendler (1803–1841). She took music lessons from the composer and musical instructor Erik Drake (1788–1870), and singing lessons from the composer and organist Johan Peter Cronhamn (1803–1875). Early career in Sweden In 1836, at age fifteen, she published her first compositi

Erik Gustaf Geijer

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Erik Gustaf Geijer (12 January 1783 – 23 April 1847) was a Swedish writer, historian, poet, romantic critic of political economy, philosopher, and composer. His writings served to promote Swedish National Romanticism. He was an influential advocate of conservatism, but switched to liberalism later in life. Biography Geijer was born at Geijersgården, his family’s estate in Ransäter, Värmland. He was educated at the gymnasium of Karlstad and then attended the University of Uppsala, where he earned his master’s degree in 1806. In 1803 he had competed successfully for an historical prize offered by the Academy of Sciences at Stockholm. In 1809, he traveled in England. The year following, he became a lecturer in history at Uppsala, and in 1815 assistant to Eric Michael Fant. Succeeding Fant, Geijer was a professor of history from 1817 at Uppsala University where a statue now commemorates him. He was rector of Uppsala University during the years 1822, 1830, 1836 and 1843–1844. As a representative of the university, he was a member of the Church of Sweden clergy in the Riksdag of the Estates in 1828–1830 and 1840–1841. He was a member of the Swedish Academy (on seat 14) from 1824. He was

Erik Nordgren

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Herman “Erik” Nordgren (13 February 1913 – 6 March 1992) was a Swedish composer, arranger and bandleader. Biography Erik Nordgren was born in Sireköpinge, Malmöhus County, and grew up in the Skåne countryside. In 1941 he graduated from College of Music in Stockholm. As a musician, he played viola . Between 1945 and 1973 he wrote music for more than 60 Swedish films, including 18 of the Ingmar Bergman’s most famous films, such as The Seventh Seal, Wild Strawberries, Smiles of a Summer Night, The Virgin Spring, and Jan Troell s Pause in the marshland , Here’s Your Life and The Emigrants ; the last film work in 1971. In addition, he collaborated with directors Alf Sjöberg, Hasse Ekman, Gustaf Molander, Alf Kjellin and Lars-Erik Stewart. He was music director at the Swedish Film Industry, 1953–1967, and then 1967–1977 he served as orchestra director at the SR. In addition he wrote three string quartets, chamber symphony (1944), Concerto for clarinet (1950), Concerto for Bassoon (1960) and Music for orchestra. From the 1960s, he composed electronic music, something that was not so well known to most people. For the music to Wild Strawberries he won a special award from the magazine Folk

Erik Tulindberg

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Erik Eriksson Tulindberg (February 22, 1761 – September 1, 1814) was one of the first known Finnish composers of classical music. Life Tulindberg was born in Vähäkyrö in Western Finland. He studied in Turku and then worked as a civil servant in Oulu from 1784 to 1809 and thereafter in Turku. He played the violin and cello and was appointed a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music in 1797. He died in Turku at the age of 53. Music From his compositions only a violin concerto in B-flat major, six string quartets, and a polonaise with five variations for solo violin remain. He wrote the violin concerto before 1784 during his youth in Turku. The work shows “simplicity and occasional clumsiness” and the influences of Mozart, Haydn and the Mannheim School of music. His string quartets are more mature works and are better known today than the violin concerto. The string quartets are in the tradition of Haydn. A copy of Haydn’s string quartets was found among Tulindberg’s possessions after his death. Perspective Tulindberg was a contemporary of Mozart and, like Mozart, he was part of the Classical era in music. His importance stems largely from his pioneering position in the music of

Erland von Koch

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Sigurd Christian Jag Erland Vogt von Koch (26 April 1910 – 31 January 2009) was a Swedish composer. He wrote symphonies, ballets, an opera, and other compositions, including music for film. Life and career Born in Stockholm as the son of composer Sigurd von Koch (1879–1919), Erland von Koch studied at the Stockholm Conservatory from 1931 to 1935 and subsequently passed the advanced choirmaster and organist examinations. Between 1936 and 1938, he lived in Germany and France in order to pursue studies in composition with Paul Höffer, conducting with Clemens Krauss, and piano with Claudio Arrau. Later, he took private classes with Tor Mann in Sweden. Teaching at the Karl Wohlfarts Musikschule from 1939 to 1945, von Koch also spent the final two years of this period working as a sound expert and choirmaster for radio broadcasting. He composed much music for the Swedish film industry. From 1953 to 1975, he was lecturer in harmony at the Stockholm Conservatory, where he was appointed a professor in 1968. twelve Scandinavian Dances, one opera (Pelle Svanslös), and five ballets, as well as music for wind orchestra. Even in his nineties he composed/studied every day. His works can be descri

Eskil Hemberg

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Eskil Hemberg ( – ) was a Swedish composer and conductor. He held positions including CEO and artistic director of the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm, as well as president of the International Federation for Choral Music. Life and career Hemberg studied at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm where he received a Music Teacher’s degree in 1961, a higher cantor’s degree in 1961, and a higher organist’s degree in 1964. Together with Herbert Blomstedt he also conducted the orchestra at the Royal College of Music during this period. Hemberg became an executive producer for the Swedish Radio’s choir, from 1963 until 1970. From 1970 to 1983 he was the planning manager and director of foreign relation at the National Institute of Concerts, and from 1984 to 1987 the general manager and artistic director of the Gothenburg Opera. During this period, he was also the director of the Stockholm University Chorus (1959–84). In 1968-78 Hemberg wrote Messa d’oggi, a choral piece with texts by Quasimodo and Dag Hammarskjöld. Furthermore, in 1970 he wrote a choreographic choral suite, which Hemberg described as “an opera in four acts” based on poems by Robert Graves. Hemberg served as general man

Ferdinand Zellbell the Younger

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Ferdinand Zellbell the Younger (171921 April 1780) was a Swedish composer and a founding member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. He was organist at Storkyrkan, the main church of Stockholm, and chief conductor at Kungliga Hovkapellet (the Royal Court Orchestra). Arguably his most accomplished composition is an opera, Il Giudizio d’Aminta, written on the occasion of the birthday of future Empress Catherine the Great of Russia. Biography Ferdinand Zellbell the Younger was born in Stockholm. He was the son of , who was also a musician and a composer. He was taught music by his father but also studied for Johan Helmich Roman. He spent the years between 1739 and 1741 with further studies in Lower Saxony; his teachers there included Georg Philipp Telemann. He started working as a substitute for his father as an organist in Storkyrkan, the main church of Stockholm, and from 1753 was permanently employed there. His father also helped him secure a position as a musician at the royal court, and he eventually rose to the position of chief conductor at Kungliga Hovkapellet and concertmaster, but this work was largely without a salary. Only from 1758 did he receive payment for his service

Folke Rabe

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Folke Rabe (28 October 1935 – 25 September 2017 ) was a Swedish composer. He was born in Stockholm and studied at the Royal College of Music, Stockholm, where his teachers included Karl-Birger Blomdahl, Ingvar Lidholm, György Ligeti and others. He died in Stockholm, aged 81. His works include the electronic drone pieces What?? (also translated as “Was??”) (1968), Basta for solo trombone (1982), Escalations for brass quintet (1988), Concerto for trombone: “All the Lonely People” (1989) featuring quotes from The Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby”, and With Love No. 1 and 2 for piano (1988). A more extensive list is given below. Works Orchestral music *Hep-Hep for symphony orchestra (1966) *All the Lonely People…, concert for trombone and chamber orchestra (1989) *Naturen, flocken och släkten (”Nature, Herd and Relatives”), concert for French horn and string orchestra (1991) *Sardine Sarcophagus, concert for trumpet and sinfonietta (1995) *Så att denna sång inte dör (”So That this Song Will Not Die”) for symphony orchestra (1998) *L’Assiuolo caprese, concert for brass quintet and orchestra (2002) Works for band *Henry IV (1964) *Altiplano (1982) Works for radio *ISNOT, music dramatic work for

Franz Berwald

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Franz Adolf Berwald (23 July 1796 – 3 April 1868) was a Swedish Romantic composer and violinist. He made his living as an orthopedist and later as the manager of a saw mill and glass factory, and became more appreciated as a composer after his death than he had been in his lifetime. Prominent in his oeuvre are several operas, much chamber music and four symphonies. Life and works Berwald was born in Stockholm and came from a family with four generations of musicians; his father, a violinist in the Royal Opera Orchestra, taught Franz the violin from an early age; he soon appeared in concerts. In 1809, Karl XIII came to power and reinstated the Royal Chapel; the following year Berwald started working there, as well as playing the violin in the court orchestra and the opera, receiving lessons from Edouard du Puy, and also started composing. The summers were off-season for the orchestra, and Berwald travelled around Scandinavia, Finland and Russia. Of his works from that time, a septet and a serenade he still considered worthwhile music in his later years. In 1818 Berwald started publishing the Musikalisk journal, later renamed Journal de musique, a periodical with easy piano pieces an

Fredrik Högberg

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Fredrik Karl Kristian Högberg, born 5 February 1971 in Vellinge, Sweden, is a Swedish composer and producer. He resides in the old courthouse in Nyland, Ångermanland (mid-Sweden). Fredrik Högberg grew up in Svedala, southern Sweden, and studied at the Folk High School of Framnäs, Piteå 1987–1991. Högberg has studied composition mainly with professor Jan Sandström at Piteå School of Music (a part of Luleå University of Technology). Life and career From the early 2000 Högberg has worked mainly with works that contains multimedia, like the music film Brassbones – a brass western (2001) and the concertos Ice Concerto (2012) and The Accordion King (2014). Högberg’s work is sometimes controversial; while working with the Ice Concerto Högberg shot burning pianos being dropped from 40 metres onto the ice of Ångermanälven. He was charged with environmental crimes, which were later dropped. 2016 he wrote the music (in collaboration with singer/songwriter Nicolai Dunger) for the critically acclaimed opera Stilla min eld, inspired by the circumstances of Eva Rausings death in Belgravia, London, 2012. Högberg can be said to have embraced the instrumental theatre of the 1960s in many of his work

Fredrik Sixten

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Sven Fredrik Johannes Sixten (born 21 October 1962) is a Swedish composer, cathedral organist and conductor. Sixten was born in Skövde, Sweden. He earned his Bachelor of Arts (1986) at the Royal College of Music, Stockholm. He studied composition with Professor Sven-David Sandström and is now recognized as one of Sweden’s best-known composers of church music. He is published at all major publishing houses in Sweden. He was the conductor of Gothenburg’s boys choir between 1997 and 2001. Today he is the cathedral organist of Härnösand’s Cathedral. His music is represented on several CD recordings and as a conductor one of his five CDs went gold. His music has been performed on Swedish Radio, e.g. his En svensk Markuspassion for two choirs, chamber orchestra and soloists (2004). The Jazz mass was performed 1999 on Swedish television. Music Sixten writes first and foremost church music, particularly liturgical music for choir and organ in a variety of combinations. In addition he has also written a number of chamber music compositions. His music is the product of an eclectic and comprehensive knowledge of musical history, with Johann Sebastian Bach and 20th-century French composers as

Fredrik Thomander

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Fredrik Thomander is a Swedish songwriter, bassist and producer. For many years he performed in Swedish pop bands. He has written and produced songs, mainly of pop music, for various singers and bands, and he operates a recording studio in Mallorca. Early life Thomander grew up in Tångaberg. As a teenager he played in a band called White Line. Career After playing together in local bands in the 1980s, Thomander and writer Anders Wilkström continued to write songs, sometimes under the name Epicenter. Many of the pair’s songs have been recorded by pop music bands, including ATC, Dream Street, A*Teens and LMNT. Thomander recorded with Rachel Platten on her album Be Here. Thomander sang and played bass in the band Vildsvin (Wild Boar) in the 1990s. He is the co-composer of Leaving Home by Nicke Borg which was in the finals of the Swedish preselection to the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest and spent 9 weeks on the Swedish charts, peaking at #9 He played bass in the band Treat beginning in 2013. In 2016 Thomander opened Palma Music Studios in Mallorca. References External links * Palma Music Studios * Epicentre *“Fredrik Thomander - Credits”. AllMusic

Fritz Arlberg

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Fritz Georg Efraim Arlberg (21 March 1830 – 21 February 1896) was a Swedish baritone, teacher, composer, opera singer, translator of opera libretti and member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. Biography Arlberg was born in Leksand in 1830, the son of Georg Arlberg and Margareta Lovisa Salmark. He became a student at Uppsala University in 1848 from where he graduated in 1852. He then worked for a time as an official, among others, in the Chamber College. He commenced writing musical compositions from early in his career and during his time at Uppsala he attracted attention through his singing voice. Arlberg studied singing with Julius Günther and the German tenor Wieser. He was also active as a composer and writer. He translated and edited a number of operatic texts, including Rienzi and The Flying Dutchman. He also became one of the champions in Sweden for the works of Richard Wagner. Arlberg was elected as member No. 420 of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music on 24 January 1868. In 1868 he married the violinist Maria Neruda, sister of the cellist Franz Xaver Neruda and the violinist Wilma Neruda, and was the father of Hjalmar Arlberg. He also had a daughter, Judith, with the s

Gertrud Maria Mell

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Gertrud Maria Mell (15 August 1947 – 30 June 2016), as a singer sometimes simply Maria Mell, was a Swedish composer, musician and sea captain. She worked as a music teacher, served as a church organist and cantor, and directed four choirs. Mell began composing in 1961, creating four symphonies, various classical pieces as well as pop music. Biography Born on 15 August 1947 in Ed, Dalsland, in south-western Sweden, Gertrud Maria Mell was the daughter of Torsten Mell, a station inspector, and Iris Olofson. Between 1965 and 1967, she studied instrumentation and conducting at the Lund Musik Conservatory, graduating as an organist and cantor in 1967 and as a church choir director in 1968. In addition to music, she studied seafaring, qualifying as a skipper (1971), ship’s mechanic (1979) and sea captain (1981). Gertrud Maria Mell died on 30 June 2016. References External links *Mell’s EP Mermaid, streamed on Deezer

Gösta Nystroem

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Gösta Nystroem (13 October 1890 – 9 August 1966) was a Swedish composer. Life and career Nystroem, originally Nyström, was born in Silvberg, Sweden, a parish in the province of Dalarna, but spent most of his childhood in Österhaninge near Stockholm, at the time a small village but nowadays a suburban district. His father was a headmaster and an organist. In his younger days, Nystroem was both a composer and a painter (one of the first Swedish Cubists), but when he was about thirty years old, he eventually decided to focus on music. He studied composition in Stockholm (at the Royal College of Music, Stockholm ), Copenhagen, and Paris. He moved to Paris in 1919. Among his teachers in Paris were Vincent d’Indy and Leonid Sabaneyev. After living in France, mostly in Paris, * 1959 Piano Concerto “Concerto Ricercante” * 195? Midsummer Dream, after Martinson, for soprano & piano * 1962–63 Sinfonia Seria (Symphony No. 5) * 1963 Sinfonia di Lontano * 1964 Sommarmusik for soprano & orchestra * 1965 Sinfonia Tramontana (Symphony No. 6) External links * References

Gunnar de Frumerie

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Per Gunnar Fredrik de Frumerie (20 July 1908 – 9 September 1987) was a Swedish composer and pianist. He was the son of architect Gustaf de Frumerie and Maria Helleday. De Frumerie was born in Nacka, Stockholm County in 1908. After studying piano in Stockholm and Vienna, he studied under Alfred Cortot in Paris. He then studied at the Royal College of Music, Stockholm from 1923 to 1928. Frumerie later taught the piano at the same college, from 1945 to 1974. His compositions covered a wide area, from grand opera to piano miniatures, but he is best remembered for his piano works. His works possess a Brahmsian complexity mixed with an impressionistic elegance. His music has been compared to that of such composers as Lars-Erik Larsson or Wilhelm Peterson-Berger. Although not noted for his theatre work, he did write an opera, Singoalla (1940). He wrote many songs, often to words by Pär Lagerkvist. The cello concerto (1984) has an interesting history. It was adapted from his second cello sonata. He then adapted it into a trombone concerto, and was his last completed work. It was specifically written for the Swedish trombone virtuoso Christian Lindberg. His pupils included Laci Boldemann. T

Gunnar Wennerberg

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Gunnar Wennerberg (2 October 1817 – 24 August 1901) was a Swedish poet, composer and politician. Biography Wennerberg was the son of the vicar of the town of Lidköping in Västergötland, went to gymnasium in the cathedral town of Skara, and matriculated as a student at Uppsala University in 1837, where he studied natural sciences, Classical philology, Philosophy and Aesthetics. He received his filosofie magister degree in 1845 and became a docent of Aesthetics in 1846. Wennerberg was remarkable in several ways, handsome in face and tall in figure, with a finely trained singing voice, and brilliant in wit and conversation. From the outset of his career he was accepted in the inner circle of men of light and leading for which the university was at that time famous. In 1843 he became a member of the musical club who called themselves The Juvenals, and for their meetings were written the trios and duets, music and words, which Wennerberg began to publish in 1846. In the following year appeared the earliest numbers of Gluntarne (or “The Boys”), thirty duets for baritone and bass, which continued to be issued from 1847 to 1850. The success of these remarkable productions, masterpieces in

Gustaf Düben

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Gustaf Düben (; 1624/1628 – December 19, 1690) was a Swedish organist and composer. Düben is best known for his contributions to the Düben collection, a collection of baroque music manuscripts. Early life Gustaf Düben was born in Stockholm, Sweden, in the 1620s, into the Düben family. He was the son of the German-born organist Andreas Düben and Anna Maria Gabrielen (1609–1690). His mother served as a lady’s maid to Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg and was the daughter of Peter Gabriel, a court musician at the Berlin royal court. Career In 1647 Gustav became part of the Swedish royal court orchestra, the Kungliga Hovkapellet, where he would succeed as Hofkapellmeister. He succeeded to the role in 1663, following his father’s death the previous year. Both of his sons would follow in their father’s footsteps, Gustaf holding the office from 1690 to 1698 and Anders von Düben the Younger from 1698 to 1726. In addition to his court duties, he was organist at the German Church in Stockholm, and he also taught Hedwig Eleonora how to play instruments. Düben composed a few works in the North German style prevalent in his time, including both vocal and instrumental music. He also composed the hymn "

Gustaf Hägg

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Gustaf Wilhelm Petersson Hägg (November 28, 1867 – February 2, 1925) was a Swedish organist and composer. Life Hägg was born in Visby, Gotland. He studied at the Royal Swedish College of Music receiving his organist’s degree in 1886 and his higher degree (kyrkosångar- och musiklärarexamen) in 1889. He was appointed organist of Klara Church in 1893 and began teaching harmony at the Royal College in 1904. In 1908 he began teaching organ and he was appointed professor of organ in 1915. He died in Stockholm. His “Legend” for reed organ has been republished by the Reed Organ Society; it is a short, highly chromatic piece of intermediate difficulty, somewhat in the style of Grieg. It begins in six-eight in d-minor, with a folklike theme repeated with variants over sustained chords. The second theme is more-or-less in E-major, but with many accidentals and a highly chromatic accompaniment in the left hand. After the second theme is developed, an abbreviated version of the original theme is restated, and then abruptly shifts from d-minor to D-major, where it is developed, briefly returning to a minor tonality before resolving on a drawn-out D-major chord. The story, one imagines, had a sai

Gustaf Nordqvist

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Gustaf Nordqvist (12 February 1886 – 28 January 1949) was a Swedish composer, organist, and music educator. Life and career Gustaf Lazarus Nordqvist was born on 12 February 1886 in Stockholm, Sweden. He studied at the Royal College of Music, Stockholm from 1901 through 1910 focusing on organ, piano, and music composition. In 1913 he pursued further studies in Berlin with Arthur Willner. In 1914 Nordqvist returned to Stockholm where he was appointed organist at Adolf Fredrik Church. He remained in that post until his death 35 years later. He was made a professor at that school in 1944 and continued to work in that position until his death in 1949. He concurrently worked as the principal organ teacher at ’s highly regarded music school in Stockholm from 1926 through 1949. In later years, his works drifted increasingly towards the sacred. Gustaf Nordqvist was voted into the Royal Swedish Academy of Music in 1932. References

Gustav Stolpe

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Gustav Erik Stolpe (26 September 1833 – 3 October 1901) was a Swedish-American composer, conductor, and performer. Career Stolpe was born in Torsåker Parish, Gästrikland, Sweden. He held the degree of Musikdirektör (music director) from the Royal Swedish Academy of Music (now Royal College of Music in Stockholm). Stolpe is most frequently remembered as the composer of When Through the Torn Sail which was written with lyricist, Reginald Heber. In 1882 Stolpe was named to the faculty of Augustana College, in Rock Island, Illinois, where he remained on the faculty for 11 years. In a typical week, he would teach seven organ lessons, six violin lessons, and ten vocal lessons. His work papers are included in the Manuscript Collections in the Thomas Tredway Library at Augustana College. In 1893, he founded Dr. Stolpe’s Music Conservatory in Moline, Illinois, and headed it until 1897, when he left to become head of music at Upsala College in Kenilworth, New Jersey. Legacy Stolpe composed 38 operettas, 25 orchestral works, 25 pieces for brass band, and 25 piano solos. Family One of his sons, Rev. Dr. Johan Gustaf Mauritz Stolpe (1858–1938), had been the rector of Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran

Hanna Brooman

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Johanna Amalia “Hanna” Brooman (; 21 August 1809 – 7 February 1887), was a Swedish composer, translator and educator. She was active as a teacher of the Royal Dramatic Training Academy from 1847 until 1884 (except for the years 1851–1856). Life Hanna Brooman was born in Stockholm and was the foster child of the opera singer Johan Erik Brooman. She never married. As an adult, she was active as a music and language teacher in Stockholm for many years, and remained there until her death. From 1847, Brooman was engaged as a teacher in the school of the actors- and ballet students at the royal theater and opera in Stockholm, the Royal Dramatic Training Academy. Except for the period of 1851–1856, she kept this post until her retirement in 1884. The students of the Royal Dramatic Theatre, Royal Swedish Opera and Royal Swedish Ballet during this period started as children, and though they were instructed in their future profession by experts, they were also given instruction in elementary subjects. This part of their education had previously been provided by the head of the Royal Dramatic Training Academy, and the students had been housed as boarding school students in the home of Christi

Hanna Hartman

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Hanna Hartman (born 1961 in Uppsala, Sweden) is a Swedish composer, sound artist and performer. Biography From 1982 to 1988 Hanna Hartman studied literature and theatre history at the University of Stockholm, 1989–1991 she studied interactive media at the Dramatiska Institutet (national college of film, theatre, radio and interactive media) in Stockholm, and 1992 at EMS (Elektronmusikstudion In 2008/2009 Hanna Hartman was “Composer in Residence” at the Swedish radio. 2010 she got a scholarship at “Villa Aurora” in Los Angeles (US). Her compositions have been played at numerous festivals, such as the Wittener Tage für neue Kammermusik (2006 ), Darmstädter Ferienkurse (2012, 2014 ), Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (2013, 2016, 2017, 2018 ) and at ECLAT in Stuttgart (2017 ). In the field of electroacoustic music, Hanna Hartman has composed works for radio and ensembles, did sound installations and has given numerous performances all over the world. Discography Albums * Hanna Hartman (2003, Elektron) * Longitude/Cratere (2005, Komplott) * Ailanthus (2007, Komplott) * H^2 (2011, Komplott) Awards *Prix Europa (1998) * Karl-Sczuka-Preis (2005) * Phonurgia Nova Prize (2006, 2016)

Hans Leygraf

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Hans Leygraf (7 September 1920 – 12 February 2011 ) was a Swedish pianist, music educator, conductor and composer. Life Born in Stockholm, Leygraf studied piano with in Stockholm and Anna Hirzel-Langenhan in Switzerland. He was one of Sweden’s most internationally renowned musicians and also a famous educator. He taught at Edsbergs musical institute outside Stockholm, in Darmstadt, Hanover, Berlin and Salzburg. In Salzburg he was professor of piano at the Mozarteum between 1972 and 1990, but continued until 2007 to give lessons for particularly talented students. He gave concerts back in 2010 (80 years after his debut) and was probably best known for his interpretations of Mozart and Schubert. As a composer, Leygraf was a member of The Monday Group, but he stopped composing as early as the 1940s. Leygrat died in Stockholm at the age of 90. Recordings * Stenhammar Piano Concerto No. 2, Gothenburg Radio Orchestra / Sixten Eckerberg. Radiotjänst 1946 * Blomdahl: Chamber Concerto. London Symphony Orchestra, Sixten Ehrling. DECCA 1965 * Mozart: Piano Concerto K.414, Fantasia K.475, Sonata K.457. The Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Stig Westerberg. EMI 1976 * Beethoven: Piano Concerto

Hans-Ola Ericsson

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Hans-Ola Ericsson (born 1958 in Stockholm) is a Swedish organist, composer, pedagogue, and visual artist. Career Ericsson studied church music at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, and continued his organ and composition studies at the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg in Germany (with Zsigmond Szathmáry, Edith Picht-Axenfeld, Klaus Huber, and Brian Ferneyhough). He also studied privately with Luigi Nono and Olivier Messiaen. In 1988, Ericsson was appointed professor of organ performance at the Piteå School of Music, a department of the Luleå University of Technology in Piteå. In 1990, he was lecturer at the summer course for new music in Darmstadt and was awarded the prestigious Kranichsteiner Musikpreis. In 1996 Hans-Ola Ericsson was appointed permanent guest professor at the Hochschule für Künste in Bremen, Germany. In the spring of 2000 he was named a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music and he received the Swedish Society of Composers interpretation prize in 1999. He was Principal Guest Organist of the Lahti Organ Festival in Finland from 2002 until 2006. Since 2005, he is artistic consultant for the Bodø International Organ Festival in Norway. From 2011 until his re

Harald Fryklöf

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Harald Leonard Fryklöf (14 September 188211 March 1919) was a Swedish composer, music teacher, and member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. The music he wrote was in a Late Romantic style. At the time of his early death, he was considered a promising composer in Sweden, appreciated by his colleagues. Biography Harald Fryklöf was born in Uppsala. Little is known about his early life. In 1901 he entered the Royal Conservatory of Music, the predecessor of the present-day Royal College of Music, Stockholm. In 1902 he started taking private lessons, in addition to attending the conservatory. In 1905, he spent a term in Berlin, where he studied instrumentation under Philipp Scharwenka. Fryklöf considered this experience to be of great value for his development as a composer. He also took private piano lessons in Sweden from 1904 until 1910, and in general continuously sought to improve his skills and knowledge throughout his short life. He began teaching harmony and piano in 1904 and would continue to be active as a teacher for all his life, dividing his teaching efforts between private schools and the Royal Conservatory. In 1908 he attained the position of assistant organist at Sto

Helmer Alexandersson

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Karl Helmer Alexandersson (16 November 1886 – 24 December 1927), was a Swedish composer and violinist. He was the brother of the actress Karin Alexandersson. Biography Alexandersson was born in Stockholm, where he attended the Royal College of Music before studying the violin under Johan Lindberg, counterpoint under Johan Lindegren, and instrumentation under Jean Paul Ertel in Berlin. His musical career had a promising beginning: he received several scholarships, and he was commissioned to write the official march of the Olympic Games in Stockholm 1912. His second symphony, premièred by George Schnéevoigt in 1919, was a success. After writing orchestral music for several Swedish films he devoted more of his time to writing music for silent films, and he played in person, along with, among others, Hilding Rosenberg in the orchestra pit at the Red Mill cinema in Stockholm. He died in poverty in 1927, and the funeral was funded by the city. Compositions ;Film music *1919 – Herr Arnes pengar *1923 – “Gunnar Hedes saga” *1925 – Ingmarsarvet ;Arrangement *1921 – “Värmlänningarna” ;Orchestral Music *1910 – Overture in C Minor *1919 – Symphony No. 2 in G Minor Recordings *Overture, Symphon

Henri Marteau

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Henri Marteau (31 March 1874 – 3 October 1934) was a French violinist and composer. Life and career Marteau’s debut was made when he was 10 at a concert given by the Vienna Philharmonic Society conducted by Hans Richter. A tour through Switzerland and Germany followed. A year later Charles Gounod selected him to play the obbligato of Vision de Jeanne d’Arc, composed for the Joan of Arc Centenary Celebration at Reims, where he also performed, before an audience of 2500 people, his teacher Léonard’s Violin Concerto No. 5. Marteau was an advocate of chamber music. On 13 April 1894, he, pianist Ami Lauchame, a violist named Koert, and a cellist named Hegner were reported to have given their second invitation chamber music concert in New York, performing works of Camille Saint-Saëns and Gabriel Fauré; a third concert was scheduled for the following week. By 1906, Marteau was leading a string quartet that broke up in a dispute over a work by Max Reger. In Berlin, he formed another string quartet with his student Licco Amar as second violinist and Hugo Becker as cellist; later, Becker’s student George Georgescu would take over the cello position. Marteau died of pneumonia on his estate in

Henrik Åström

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Henrik Åström (born 11 January 1980) is a Swedish composer and music producer. He is the son of the Swedish archaeologist Paul Åström and owner of the record label and publishing company A-Stream Productions since 2002. Film, television and theatre Åström has written music for many feature films, such as the dramas Child of Grace and Cowboys and Indians by the award-winning director Ian McCrudden, Scammerhead by writer/director Dan Zukovic and Internment by writer/director Kast Hasa. One of his first film scores was for the drama Jake and Jasper – A Ferret Tale that was awarded with a 2012 Remi Award at the Worldfest-Houston International Film Festival. He has also composed the original score for two seasons of the Science Channel documentary series Secrets of the Viking Stone, directed by Peter Stormare. In 2022 Åström co-wrote the score for the documentary Ariel Phenomenon with Nate Walcott. In addition to his work in film and TV, Åström has written and performed experimental music for the Butoh dancer and choreographer Frauke. He composed the music and created the sound design for her theatre work Ama-No-Gawa that was performed at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, South

Herbert Sandberg (conductor)

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Herbert Ludwig Sandberg (26 February 1902 – 7 January 1966) was a Swedish conductor, librettist, and composer of Polish Jewish descent. Life and career Born in Breslau (now Wrocław), Sandberg was the son of Dr. Richard and Franziska Betty (née Rosenthal) Sandberg. He was educated in Germany where he was a student of Julius Prüwer in Breslau and Leo Blech in Berlin. He then became a conductor at the Royal Swedish Opera (RSO) in Stockholm in 1926 where he remained for the rest of his career. He notably conducted several world premieres at the RSO, including Lars-Erik Larsson’s Prinsessan av Cypern (1937), Hilding Rosenberg’s Lycksalighetens ö (1945), Natanael Berg’s Genoveva (1947), and Ture Rangström’s Gilgamesj (1952). In 1950 he conducted the world premiere of Birgit Cullberg’s ballet Medea to music by Béla Bartók at the Riksteatern Gävle, a work he also conducted for its American premiere with the New York City Ballet at Lincoln Center in 1958. He was a guest conductor on several occasions at the Bavarian State Opera, the Hamburg State Opera, and the Semperoper among other houses, and with the Nordwestdeutscher Rundfunk in Hamburg and the RIAS Symphony Orchestra in Berlin. Sandbe

Hilding Hallnäs

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Hilding Hallnäs (24 May 1903 – 11 September 1984) was a Swedish composer. Hallnäs was married to the actress Gun Holmquist. Life and career Hallnäs was born in Halmstad, Sweden, in 1903. His father had been a tenor and sang in choirs. After matriculation in his home town, he entered the Royal College of Music, Stockholm in 1924, He was active in the Levande Musik (Living Music) concert association and the Gothenburg Composers’ Association. In 1974, he settled in Stockholm. Selected compositions Music for the stage * Ballet: Kärlekens ringdans (1955) * Ballet: Ifigenia (1961–63) Orchestral music * Divertimento for orchestra (1937) * Seven symphonies (including Sinfonietta pastorale (1944), Sinfonia notturna (1946), Small symphony for strings (1947), Metamorfose sinfonice (1952)) * Violin concerto (1945) * Piano concerto (1956) * Flute concertos (1957, 1962) * En grekisk saga (1967 – a protest against the junta’s seizure of power) * Viola concerto (1978) * Cello concerto (1981–82) Organ music * Fantasi (1936) * Fantasi and preludium with chorale (1957) * Pietà (1962) * Organ sonatas – No 1: De profundis (1965), No 2 (1977) * Passionsmusik - Musica dolorosa (1968) Chamber music * Viol

Hilding Rosenberg

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Hilding Constantin Rosenberg (June 21, 1892 – May 18, 1985) was a Swedish composer and conductor. He is commonly regarded as the first Swedish modernist composer, and one of the most influential figures in 20th-century classical music in Sweden. Life and career Born in Bosjökloster, he was an organist (completing his examinations in 1909), He died in Bromma, Stockholm. Selected compositions Orchestral music Symphonies * Symphony (no. 0) (1915–1916, withdrawn) * Symphony no. 1, op. 5 (1919, revised 1932, 1971) * Symphony no. 2, op. 62 Sinfonia grave (1934) * Symphony no. 3, The Four Ages of Man (1939, rev. 1943; 1949 with new third movement) * Symphony no. 4, The Revelation of John, for baritone, choir and orchestra (1940; Bible, Hjalmar Gullberg) * Symphony no. 5, Örtagårdsmästaren, for alto, mixed choir and orchestra (1944; Bible) * Symphony no. 6, Sinfonia semplice (1951) * Symphony no. 7, (1968, rev. 1968) * Symphony no. 8, In candidum, for mixed choir and orchestra (1974; Vilhelm Ekelund; rev. 1980 as Sinfonia serena) Concertante * Suite in D major, op. 13 (1922, version for violin and orchestra) * Violin concerto no. 1, op. 22 (1924) * Trumpet concerto, op. 47 (1928) * Variati

Hugo Alfvén

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Hugo Emil Alfvén (; 1 May 18728 May 1960) was a Swedish composer, conductor, violinist, and painter. Alfvén was one of Sweden’s principal composers. His “Swedish Rhapsody No. 1”, written when he was 31, is still one of the best-known pieces of Swedish music. After extensive European travels to develop his musical skills, Alfvén taught composition, before conducting choirs and orchestras. In 1954, he made the first Swedish classical stereo recordings. Hugo Alfvén’s extensive musical archive is held at Uppsala University, where he was music director for twenty-nine years. Career Violinist Alfvén was born in Stockholm, Sweden, and studied at the Royal College of Music (Kungliga Musikhögskolan) from 1887 to 1891 with the violin as his main instrument while receiving lessons from Lars Zetterquist. He also took private composition lessons from Johan Lindegren, a leading counterpoint expert. At the same time he played the violin at the Royal Opera in Stockholm 1890-1892. Conductor Starting in 1897, Alfvén travelled much of the next ten years in Europe. He studied violin technique in Brussels with César Thomson and learned conducting in Dresden with Hermann Ludwig Kutzschbach. In 1903-4, h

Ika Peyron

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Albertina Fredrika “Ika” Peyron, née Asp (1 July 1845 – 15 March 1922) was a Swedish composer, pianist and organist. She wrote songs as well as compositions for violin, piano and solo songs. Some of her pieces are still played, especially compositions for marching bands. Life Ika Peyron was born in Timrå, Västernorrland, and was the foster child of the merchant Anton Asp, who wished her to have a profession and gave her a good education. Asp wished for her to become a medical doctor, but she was early on focused on music. She was educated as a pianist in Stockholm and a student of Louise Engström, Ivar Hallström, , Emil Sjögren and Anton Andersen. She also studied in London. She attempted to compose but gave up because of the poor attitude toward female composers. Ivar Hallström dedicated three piano pieces to Peyron. Works Peyron’s compositions included: *Chamber music (principally string quartets and works for violin and piano) *Piano music *Organ music *Songs *Choral works References External links * *

Ilya Salmanzadeh

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Ilya Salmanzadeh (; ; born 19 September 1986), known mononymously as Ilya, is an Iranian-born Swedish songwriter, producer, and singer. He rose to prominence outside of Sweden after co-writing and producing Ariana Grande’s hit single “Problem” for her second studio album, My Everything (2014). He is a six-time Grammy Awards nominee, including three nominations for Album of the Year: Grande’s Thank U, Next (2020), Justin Bieber’s Justice (Triple Chucks Deluxe) (2022), and Lizzo’s Special (2023). Career Ilya Salmanzadeh was born in Iran, raised in Denmark, and moved to Sweden at age 11. In 2005 at the age of 19, he sang with Warner/Chappell Music in Stockholm, Sweden. In 2009, he graduated from the Musicians Institute in Hollywood, California. “Miss Me”, Mohombi & Nelly’s song in 2010, was Ilya’s first internationally acclaimed production. In 2011, he produced “Mama” and “Reba” from The Lonely Island’s Grammy-nominated album, Turtleneck & Chain. In 2013, he produced Cher Lloyd’s song, “I Wish”, and Fifth Harmony’s award-winning song, “Me & My Girls”. Alongside Max Martin, he co-wrote and produced Ariana Grande’s “Problem” and Jennifer Lopez’s “First Love” in 2014. “Problem” went on t

Ingeborg Bronsart von Schellendorf

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Ingeborg Bronsart von Schellendorf (born Ingeborg Maria Wilhelmina Starck, was involved in commerce. Her native language was Swedish. Having shown musical gifts from a young age, she studied piano with and Adolf Henselt, as well as composition with . She completed her studies in Weimar with Franz Liszt. During a stay in Paris in 1861 her friends included composers such as Auber, Berlioz, Rossini and Wagner. In September of the same year, she married fellow pianist-composer Hans Bronsart von Schellendorff, a member of Liszt’s circle whom she had met in Weimar. Ingeborg Bronsart von Schellendorf toured Europe as a concert pianist until 1867, when her husband accepted a court appointment at the Royal Theatre in Hanover; state policy prohibited the wives of Prussian officials from appearing publicly as artists. She remained musically active as a composer of vocal music, notably four operas and approximately eighty art songs , chamber and instrumental music. Her songs set texts by poets of the golden age of German Romanticism, including Goethe, Rückert, and Heine, as well as by several of her contemporaries, among them Friedrich von Bodenstedt, Peter Cornelius, and Ernst von Wildenbruch

Inger Wikström

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Inger Wikstrom (born 11 December 1939) is a Swedish pianist, composer and conductor. Biography Inger Wikstrom began studying piano in Stockholm at the age of six, and at sixteen played as soloist with the Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. She made successful debuts as a concert pianist in Stockholm, Berlin, London and New York City. Later concert tours included the United States, Latin America, Russia, Israel, Africa, China, Japan and Australia. Wikstrom married David Bartov and the couple moved with their three children to Österskär, where they opened the Nordic Music Conservatory in 1977, which became the Nordic Chamber Opera in 1980. Inger Wikström is a member of The Society of Swedish Composers and the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. Wikstrom is the sister of Gunnel Biberfeld and mother of opera director Mira Bartov. She was married to politician Jan-Erik Wikström 1980-1990. Awards *Order of Cavalliero de Rio Branco *Adelaide Ristori Prize *Bartok medal *Villa Lobos medal * Natur och Kultur Culture Award (1992) Works Inger Wikström has composed chamber music, song cycles, and a number of operas. Her recordings have been issued on more than forty albums. Selected works include:

Ingvar Lidholm

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Ingvar Natanael Lidholm (24 February 1921 – 17 October 2017 ) was a Swedish composer. Early years: 1921–1940 Ingvar Lidholm was born in Jönköping. The actual family home was in Nässjö, some 40 kilometers to the southeast. Neither of his parents was particularly musical: his father worked for Swedish Railways and his mother was a homemaker. But the home environment was one in which music was encouraged. Ingvar was the youngest of four children, all of whom made music at home. The family owned a piano, and Lidholm began his “musical explorations” at an early age. By the age of eleven, Lidholm and his family had moved to Södertälje, which lies to the south of Stockholm. Both at school and at home, he rapidly began to develop his musical skills as a performer – and as a composer. By age twelve, he was writing songs in a tonal and romantic idiom, which led gradually to exercises of larger proportions, including music for full orchestra. This early period also included orchestration studies with Natanael Berg in Stockholm. Lidholm’s primary performance area was stringed instruments; he eventually studied and mastered all four instruments of the string family. As a gymnasium student, he p

Ivar Hallström

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Ivar Christian Hallström (5 June 1826 – 11 April 1901) was a Swedish composer, particularly of opera. Life Hallström was born and died in Stockholm. Although he learnt the piano, he was self-taught as a composer. He studied law in Uppsala and in 1853 was appointed librarian to Prince Oscar which assisted him in advancing his career as a composer. His operas in collaboration with the librettist Frans Hedberg launched his operatic career, where he was particularly able to use Swedish folk tunes effectively. Fourteen operatic works survive. He was one of the founding members of Sällskapet Idun, a men’s association founded in Stockholm in 1862. After many years neglect, Hallström’s operas were revived, in Umeå in 1986 with Bergtagna, seen also at the York Early Music Festival in 1988, and Liten Karin in 1997, also at Vadstena, with Malena Ernman as Princess Cecilia. Compositions *Hertig Magnus och sjöjungfrun (Duke Magnus and the mermaid) – romantic operetta *Mjölnarvargen (after Le diable au moulin by Eugène Cormon and Michel Carré) - operetta *Den bergtagna (The bride of the mountain king) – romantic opera *Vikingarne (The Vikings) – romantic opera *Neaga - opera *Per Svinaherde (Pet

Jacob Mühlrad

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Jacob Benjamin Mühlrad (born 9 April 1991) is a Swedish composer who has worked with prominent choirs and orchestras across the world. He has also collaborated with pop music acts and produced film music. Mühlrad’s modern classical works have been performed at the Carnegie Hall in New York City, Victoria Hall in Singapore, the Orpheum in Vancouver, the Norwegian Opera, and the National Portrait Gallery in London. His piece Anim Zemirot (composed in 2013 and released by Deutsche Grammophon in 2021) is today a staple in the repertoire of European choirs. In 2015, Mühlrad as a 24-year-old became the youngest composer to have a piece performed at the Royal Swedish Opera. He has since been labeled a “rising star” by The Economist and garnered a top rating by BBC Music Magazine for his debut album Time. Mühlrad has partnered with musicians such as Pablo Heras-Casado, Olga Neuwirth, and Vancouver Chamber Choir, on the classical side. As a pop composer, he has done various collaborations with the Swedish House Mafia, including the One Symphony, a symphonic version of the electronic music super group’s hit song. Mühlrad is from a Jewish family and three of his grandparents were survivors of

Jacob Niclas Ahlström

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Jacob Niclas Ahlström (5 June 1805 in Visby, Gotland – 14 May 1857 in Stockholm) was a Swedish Kapellmeister and composer. Beginning his studies at Uppsala University in 1824, Ahlström dropped out due to lack of money and joined a touring theatrical troupe. From 1832 to 1842, he served as a cathedral organist and music teacher in Västerås and then became a Court Kapellmeister and organist in Stockholm until his death. In 1845, he held a concert in Berlin, during which he played Swedish folk songs and dances. During the years 1842 to 1854 Ahlström worked at the Nya theater in Stockholm where he wrote music in various genres for more than one hundred theatrical works. Ahlström composed two operas based on libretti by Frans Hedberg, incidental music (for plays such as Agne, Positivhalaren, Ringaren i Notre Dame, and Hinko och Urdur), a vocal symphony, chamber music, and lieder. Together with Per Conrad Boman, he published Svenska folksånger, folkdanser och folklekar, the best-known collection of Swedish folk songs which appeared during the 19th century. In 1852, he also published the Musikalisk fickordbok (Musical Pocket Book), which enjoyed several reissues. References Further readin

Jan Allan

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Jan Bertil Allan (born 7 November 1934) He is the winner of a Grammis Award, the Swedish equivalent of the Grammys. He began his career in 1951 as a pianist; after moving to Stockholm, he changed to the trumpet as his main instrument. At this time he played in Carl-Henrik Norin’s orchestra. From 1954 to 1955, he worked with Lars Gullin and Rolf Billberg and from 1955 to 1959 with Carl-Henrik Norin. At the same time, he earned a PhD in physics. Despite his small number of records, Allan is among the most important modern jazz musicians in Sweden. From 1960 to 1963, he led a quintet with Billberg. Over the course of the 1960s, he worked with Arne Domnérus, Georg Riedel, and Bengt Hallberg, among others. From 1968 to 1975, he was a member of the Swedish Radio Jazz Group. His album Jan Allan -70, which featured Rolf Ericson, Nils Lindberg, Bobo Stenson, Jon Christensen, and Rune Gustafsson, won a Grammis Award for Jazz of the Year in 1970. Allan played with the same group and Georg Riedel on the trio-album Sweet And Loverly. His 1998 album Software stands in strong affinity with the West Coast Jazz of Gerry Mulligan and Stan Getz. Over the course of his career, Allan recorded albums wi

Jan Sandström (composer)

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Jan Sandström (born 25 January 1954) is a Swedish classical music composer. His compositions include the so-called Motorbike Concerto for trombone and orchestra and his choral setting of Es ist ein Ros entsprungen. Career Born in Vilhelmina, Västerbotten County, Sandström grew up in Stockholm. He studied at the Luleå University of Technology’s Piteå School of Music (1974–1976) and completed his music training at the Royal College of Music, Stockholm, studying music theory (1978–1982) and composition with Gunnar Bucht, Brian Ferneyhough and Pär Lindgren (1980–1984). placing the familiar Praetorius setting in slow motion in an eight-part a cappella setting. In 1991 he completed Från Mörker till Ljus (From Darkness to Light) for reader, baritone and chamber orchestra, based on poems by Folke Isaksson, were inspired by an altarpiece from Antwerp in Gammelstad, with a focus on the Passion. The poems are partly spoken, partly sung, some accompanied by the orchestra; the tenth of 14 movements, Klarheten (Clarity), is purely orchestral. The work was recorded in 2002 with the singer of the premiere, Peter Mattei, speaker Sven Wollter and the Norrbotten Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Petter

Jan W. Morthenson

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Jan Wilhelm Morthenson (7 April 1940 – 22 October 2024) was a prominent Swedish composer, critic, and writer primarily known for his criticism of music in Sweden and his compositional styles of non-figurative music, music that aimed to avoid any relationship to past compositional techniques, and meta-music, which alluded to historical music genres in order to criticize them. Morthenson’s success as a composer and intellect in Sweden is reflected by the influential positions he has held throughout his career. He was on the board for the Electronic Music Studio from 1973 to 1975, he acted as chairman of the Swedish section of the International Society for Contemporary Music (ICSM) from 1974 to 1975, he was vice-chairman of the ISCM council from 1975 to 1978, and he was also the chairman for Fylkingen, a Swedish chamber music society that focuses primarily on new music, from 1975 to 1976. Training Morthenson was born in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden in 1940 and began studying music in Stockholm in 1956 with Runar Mangs, a prominent Swedish music critic. Mangs left a lasting impression on young Morthenson, who would later refer to him in an obituary as one of the most important contemporary mus

Jesper Nordin (Swedish composer)

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Jesper Nordin (born 6 July 1971 in Stockholm) is a Swedish composer. His music mixes traditional Swedish folk music, rock music, electroacoustics and improvisation. In 2002 his composition Calm Like a Bomb won second prize in Category B: electroacoustic music with voice or instruments in the 24th Russolo Composers Competition, and this piece was released on a CD together with music by the other prizewinners. The following year he was a finalist in Category A: electroacoustic music, of the same competition. He was Composer in Residence at SR P2, Swedish Radio’s serious music channel, from 2004 to 2006. “Residues”, released in 2006 by Swedish Radio, has been hailed as a “milestone for contemporary music lovers” in France and as “a central album of the Swedish music from the first decade of the 21st century” in Swedish press. Nordin was given a recommendation at UNESCO’s Rostrum 2005 and his music has been played at several ISCM festivals. He received the Saltö Foundation Award in 2014 for his work ‘Pendants’. Performances of his orchestral music have been given throughout the world by such orchestras as the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the Basel Symphony Orchestra, the Swedish Ra

Jimmy Thörnfeldt

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Paul Jimmy Thörnfeldt (born 14 March 1976), also known professionally as Jimmy Joker or simply Joker, is a Swedish songwriter and record producer. As a songwriter, he has taken part in Melodifestivalen and the Eurovision Song Contest several times. Biography Jimmy “Joker” Thörnfeldt is an established name on the international songwriting scene. He has worked with artists such as One Direction, Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga, Pitbull and Enrique Iglesias. In 2016, Pitbull’s album Dale, on which Thörnfeldt contributed as a songwriter and producer, won a Grammy in the Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album category. Since 2021, Thörnfeldt has been involved as a songwriter in several contributions to the Swedish national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, Melodifestivalen. He has also taken part in the Eurovision Song Contest numerous times as a songwriter. Songwriting discography Eurovision Song Contest entries Notable productions * 2010: Usher: “More” * 2011: Jennifer Lopez: “Papi” * 2011: Jennifer Lopez: “Invading My Mind” * 2011: Jennifer Lopez: “Hypnotico” * 2011: Jennifer Lopez: “Charge Me Up” * 2011: Nicole Scherzinger: “Poison” * 2011: Nicole Scherzinger: “Say Yes” * 2011: Nic

Joachim Nicolas Eggert

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Joachim Nicolas Eggert (22 February 1779 – 14 April 1813) was a Swedish composer and musical director. Eggert was born in Gingst on Rügen, at that time part of Swedish Pommern. At a very young age he started studying to play the violin. In Stralsund he continued his musical education in the subjects of violin and composition. These studies were followed, in the first years of the 19th century, by studies in musical theory in Braunschweig and Göttingen, with Johann Nikolaus Forkel as a teacher. In 1802 he got his first appointment as a Kapellmeister at the court theater of Schwerin. A year later he became violinist at the Royal Court Orchestra of Sweden. He soon received his first commissions for compositions. In 1807 he was appointed a member of the Royal Swedish Musical Academy; in the same year he made his debut as a musical director. Between 1808 and 1812 he worked as a Hofkapellmeister at the Royal Court Orchestra. He died at Thomestorp, Östergötland, Sweden, of tuberculosis, at the age of 34 years. The main part of his compositional creations are instrumental works like operas, cantatas, musical dramas and symphonies. He also composed numerous works commissioned by the Swedish

Johan Lindström (musician)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Johan Lindström is a musician, composer, arranger and record-producer based in Stockholm, Sweden. He has worked professionally, since 1991, as a musician, playing guitar, piano and pedal steel. He has performed and collaborated with artists including Tonbruket, Rebecka Thörnqvist, Ane Brun, Elvis Costello, Patti Smith, Nils Petter Molvaer, Sly & Robbie, Loney Dear, Graveyard, Susanne Sundføer, Anna Ternheim, Freddie Wadling, Ebbot Lundberg, Edda Magnason, Christian Kjellvander, and Goran Kajfes. History Lindstrom is also a string/orchestral arranger. As a composer, he writes instrumental music for the progressive jazz group Tonbruket and Johan Lindström Septett and other recording artists, including Rebecka Törnqvist (Home Secretary album) and Ane Brun (outro of the song “Last Breath”). He also started producing albums in the late 1990s. In 1998, he joined Per “Texas” Johansson’s band as a pedal steel player, where he met bass player Dan Berglund. They formed the band Tonbruket in 2009 along with piano player Martin Hederos and drummer Andreas Weerlin. Tonbruket have released six albums . Four of these albums received a Swedish Grammy Award in the Jazz category. In 2017 he formed J

Johan Söderqvist

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Johan Söderqvist (born 11 February 1966) is a Swedish film score composer. He has twice been nominated for the European Film Award for Best Composer for his film scores. Personal life Johan Söderqvist was born in Täby, outside Stockholm in Sweden, he attended the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, studying composition and arranging. Career Söderqvist was a keyboard player in many different jazz bands and folk music groups and has toured extensively around the world before concentrating his activities on composition for film, television, radio and theatre. He wrote his first film score for Agnes Cecilia in 1991 and since then he has written numerous scores for film and television, including nine scores for films directed by the acclaimed Danish director Susanne Bier. Among those titles are the award-winning score for Brothers (2004), After the Wedding (2006) and Things We Lost in the Fire (2007), where he collaborated with Academy Award-winning composer Gustavo Santaolalla, and most recently the Best Foreign Language Oscar-winning In a Better World (2010). He composed an award-winning score for Tomas Alfredson’s film Let the Right One In (2008) and the music to the Oscar-nominated

Johan Testad

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Johan Testad (born 1973) is a Swedish composer. He won Guldbagge Award for Best Original Score for his work on (2018). Life and career He studied music in Gävle, before being introduced to film score composition through , then a filmmaking student at the Dramatiska Institutet. He wrote the music for the 2007 film adaptation of Jonas Hassen Khemiri’s novel . In 2012, Testad formed the band Tibble Transsibiriska. The group’s work is inspired by Romani folk music; they released their first album in 2015. Testad has collaborated numerous times with filmmaker Peter Grönlund, including on (2018), for which Testad won Guldbagge Award for Best Original Score. For the original score of Beartown (2020), Testad nominated for a 2022 HARPA Nordic Film Composer Award. He composed the music for (2022) and the Spotify audio drama De fria. He also composed the score for the Netflix series Land of Sin, a 2026 crime drama series created by Grönlund. References Citations Sources * * * * * * * * * External links * *

Johan Wikmanson

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Johan Wikmanson (28 December 1753 – 10 January 1800) was a Swedish organist and composer. Biography Wikmanson was born in Stockholm and, except for 18 months spent in Copenhagen studying mathematics and instrument making, lived his entire life in the Swedish capital. He was reputed to be a superb organist and for many years held the post of organist at the Storkyrkan, Stockholm’s principal church. He was also an accomplished cellist. His teachers included Abbé Georg Joseph Vogler and Joseph Martin Kraus. Nonetheless, like most Swedish musicians of this era, he was unable to earn his living solely as a practicing musician and was forced to find employment as a government accountant, working for the Royal Swedish National Lottery. He did, however, obtain some recognition during his lifetime. In 1788, he was made a member of the Swedish Royal Academy and later was put in charge of its music program. As a composer, Wikmanson is remembered for his five string quartets, all published after his early death from tuberculosis in 1800. His close friend, Gustav Silverstolpe, published what he felt were the three best at his own expense, titling them Opus 1. Later, Silverstolpe gave the rights

Johann Christian Friedrich Hæffner

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Johann Christian Friedrich Hæffner (2 March 1759 in Oberschönau – 28 May 1833 in Uppsala) was a German-born Swedish composer. Hæffner received his first musical education with the Schmalkalden organist Johann Gottfried Vierling. He studied in Leipzig from 1776, and then worked as a music conductor in theatres in Frankfurt am Main and Hamburg from 1778 to 1780. He moved to Stockholm, Sweden in 1781 at the invitation of the German congregation there (Tyska kyrkan) to assume the position of organist, which he held until 1793. The same year (1781) he was employed at the Royal Theatre in Stockholm as well as conductor of the orchestra for the Stenborg theatres. In 1786 Hæffner was appointed assistant conductor of the Royal Orchestra (hovkapellet) and from 1795 to 1807 he held the post of hovkapellmästare (Chief conductor of the Royal Orchestra). He was also an instructor at the Royal Dramatic Training Academy. He was married twice, first to the Swedish actress and singer Elisabeth Forsselius. Since King Gustaf IV Adolf closed the Royal Opera (and its orchestra) in 1807, Hæffner moved to Uppsala, where in 1808 he was appointed Director musices of the university and simultaneously was emp

Johannes Möller (guitarist)

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Johannes Möller (born November 29, 1981) is a Swedish classical guitarist and composer. Early life Johannes Möller was born on 29 November 1981 to Swedish parents. His father Mats Möller is a professional flautist and his grandfather was a viola player. As a young child, Möller would play on the piano in his home creating melodies and would use Blu Tack to put numbers on the keys to indicate the order they should be played. At age 10, he began taking guitar lessons as part of the public music education programme that offered music lessons to all school children in Sweden. When he was 12, Möller began studying counterpoint, harmony and the art of composition in earnest through textbooks. This resulted in a large quantity of mainly chamber music works for various instruments. A selection of these works was recorded on a CD with some of the top instrumentalists in his Sweden when he was 14 years old. A critic from the Swedish newspaper Göteborgs-Posten wrote about these compositions, “What is to become of Johannes Möller? A Swedish Mozart – in our time?” Education & Competitions Johannes Möller has earned a Bachelor of Music with Honors from the Royal College of Music in London and he

John Eriksson (musician)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

John Eriksson (born 8 January 1974, Hortlax (Piteå), Sweden) is a Swedish musician and composer best known as a founding member of Peter Bjorn and John. Career He was born in 1974 and raised in Hortlax (Piteå), Sweden. In 1994, he founded the percussion quartet Peaux, for which he was also a musician and composer. From 1995 to 1999, he was a musician in the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, performing in concerts and recordings with Esa-Pekka Salonen, Myung-Whun Chung, Herbert Blomstedt and Evgeny Svetlanov. He was also in a percussion/trumpet duo with Tora Thorslund, and in 1998 he was a marimba soloist during the Stockholm International Percussion Event. From 1999 to 2008, he was a musician, arranger and composer in the Kroumata Percussion Ensemble. From 1999, he was one of the founding members, musician, composer, arranger and producer of the band Peter Bjorn and John. More recently, he has recorded as dance music act Hortlax Cobra, who produced 3 vinyl EPs. Another side project is “disco-kraut” act Holiday For Strings. He was also composer for projects with Teenage Engineering. In 2012 he was one of the founding members of the artist collective INGRID, and Hortlax Cobra contrib

John Fernström

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John Fernström (6 December 1897 – 19 October 1961) was a Swedish composer. He was the founder of the Nordic Youth Orchestra. Early life and education Fernström was born in Yichang, China, where he also spent most part of the first ten years of his life at the mission his father directed, except for a couple of years in Sweden. He resided permanently in the Swedish province of Skåne from 1907 and started to study the violin at the conservatory in Malmö. and Isissystrarnas bröllop), and a large number of songs and choral pieces. References External links * Home page for John Fernström

Jonas Kullhammar

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Jonas Kullhammar (2 September 1978 in Nacka, Sweden) is a Swedish jazz composer, saxophonist and is one of Sweden’s most established jazz musicians. Career Since 1998 his main group has been Jonas Kullhammar Quartet, and he has participated on over 150 records as a sideman. In year 2000 he released his debut recording, the self-produced “Salut”. It won him Sweden Radio’s Jazz Cat award as the newcomer of the year. He also received the Django D’or award and received the price Sweden Radio’s Jazz Cat as Jazz Musician of The Year in Sweden two years in a row. The group also received the award for jazz group of the year. Since then the band has toured around the world and released more CDs. Jonas is also a founding member of the groups Kullrusk and Nacka Forum. Since 2000 he runs the record label Moserobie, that releases mainly Swedish and Norwegian jazz groups. *2017: Jan Johansson-award Swedish jazz critics “Jazzkatten” awards *2000: Newcomer of the year *2002: Jazz Artist of The Year *2002: Jazz Group Of The Year (Jonas Kullhammar Quartet) *2003: Jazz Artist of The Year Nominations for the Swedish grammy *2002: with Nacka Forum *2003: with JKQ for Plays Loud for The People *2004: wi

Jörgen Dafgård

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Jörgen Dafgård (born 27 November 1964 in Gothenburg) is a Swedish composer. He gained international repute in connection with the 2003 Masterprize competition, in which his orchestral work Veils reached the top ten. His compositions have been broadcast on NPR and Classic FM (UK) as well as Scandinavian radio stations such as NRK and Sveriges Radio P2. Dafgård studied composition with Anders Nilsson and Johan Hammerth and later at the Malmö Music Academy with Hans Gefors, Javier Alvarez, Hans Abrahamsen and Kent Olofsson. * Veils for orchestra (1995/2005) * For the Sleeping – Dream Sonata (1997–1998), for viola and tape. * String Quartet I (1993–1998) * Mosaïque Vibrante for orchestra (1999–2000) * Den gömda musiken for choir, organ and percussion (1999–2000, text: Östen Sjöstrand) * Wind Quintet (2001–2002) * Sinfonia No. 1 for orchestra (2003–2004) * Mosaïque Vibrante (2010) * Eclipse (Concerto, Violin) (2018) References External links * Jörgen Dafgård’s homepage * Jörgen Dafgård on Soundcloud

Joseph Martin Kraus

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Joseph Martin Kraus (20 June 1756 – 15 December 1792), was a German-Swedish composer in the Classical era who was born in Miltenberg am Main, Holy Roman Empire. He moved to Sweden at age 21, and died at the age of 36 in Stockholm. He has been referred to as “the Swedish Mozart”, although his music is rarely performed today. He is best known for having been a sacred music composer, while his symphonic output was much higher than is extant today. He composed in a wide array of forms, and took his greatest aesthetic influence from Haydn and Mozart. His competency and artistic skills were praised almost universally during his time. Life Childhood Kraus was born in the South German town of Miltenberg in Lower Franconia, the son of Joseph Bernhard Kraus, a county clerk in the Archbishopric of Mainz, and Anna Dorothea née Schmidt. His father’s family, originally from Augsburg, had a small restaurant in Weilbach near Amorbach, while his mother was a daughter of the master-builder at Miltenberg Johann Martin Schmidt. They had 14 children, of whom seven died in childhood; Marianne Kraus was a sister of Joseph’s. After a short stay in Osterburken, the Kraus family moved in 1761 to Buchen (in

Juan Manuel Abras

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Juan Manuel Abras Contel (in Swedish and Polish, Jan Emanuel Abras; born 1 February 1975) is a classical music composer, conductor, musicologist and historian from Sweden. Born in Stockholm to a European family (French, Italian, etc.) that moved around the world, Abras became a cosmopolitan artist and scientist. Background and education Juan Manuel Abras was born in Stockholm, Sweden, spent his childhood in Geneva, Paris and Madrid, his adolescence in Venice, Buenos Aires, and Bilbao, and his youth in Vienna and Kraków. His education, which includes two PhD doctorates and a dozen of academic degrees, As composer, Abras was a student of Krzysztof Penderecki, Kurt Schwertsik and Roberto García Morillo, he also studied with Karlheinz Stockhausen, Helmut Lachenmann, Wolfgang Rihm, Alexander Müllenbach, etc. and attended the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, the Mozarteum University Salzburg, the Academy of Music in Kraków, the IRCAM of Paris, the Conservatorio di Musica Benedetto Marcello di Venezia, etc., taking part in courses, workshops and completing graduate and postgraduate studies. As conductor, Abras was a student of Leopold Hager, Ervin Acél, Guillermo Scarabino,

Kai Gullmar

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Kai Gullmar (pseudonym for Gurli Maria Bergström), (2 April 1905 in Sundsvall – 25 March 1982 in Stockholm), was a Swedish composer, musician, singer and actress. Gullmar wrote music for more than 40 films between 1937 and 1960. Biography In 1924–1925, Gullmar studied in London. After her return to Sweden, she settled in Stockholm; she made her debut as a performer in a revue by Ernst Rolf in 1929. However, Gullmar’s parents forbade her from performing on stage, and she started working as a recording artist and composer for His Master’s Voice instead. Gullmar soon emerged as one of Sweden’s leading composers of schlager music, with entertainers such as Ulla Billquist, Karin Juel, Harry Brandelius and Karl Gerhard recording her compositions. During her career, Gullmar wrote music for more than 47 Swedish films. Simultaneously, she continued recording her own music and acting in revues as well as films. Kai Gullmar was openly lesbian and became known for her often androgynous way of dressing. She is buried at Norra begravningsplatsen in Stockholm. Known melodies En natt på Ancora bar (1933), Det borde vara förbjudet med så vackra ögon (1937), Blonda John (1938), Solen lyser även på l

Kalle Nämdeman

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Kalle Nämdeman (31 December 1883 – 28 June 1945) was the stage name of Karl Gustafsson, a Swedish songwriter, performer and recording artist. Life and legacy As a young man Kalle Nämdeman apprenticed as a goldsmith, but he eventually began working as an entertainer. He “discovered” the military conscript as a comic type, appearing as such on stage or in top hat and tails. Although he never dressed the part of a bondkomiker (rustic comic), his songs had a similar appeal. One of the first artists booked on the folk park circuit, by the 1930s Nämdeman was no longer welcome at such venues because of his sometimes improper conduct. His last public appearance was in 1941. He moved to Virserum, Småland, where he lived out his days in straitened circumstances. His statue now stands in Eskilstuna’s Folk Park. In America, his humorous songs were recorded by Olle i Skratthult, who also published them in his songbooks. The most popular of these was Flickan på Bellmansro (The Girl at Bellmansro), a story of unrequited love in Stockholm’s Djurgården park. References Gallery File:Kalle Nämndeman-2.jpg Kalle Nämdeman in military uniform File:Kalle nämndeman, av Marita Norin 1983.JPG Kalle Nämdeman

Karin Rehnqvist

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Karin Rehnqvist (born 21 August 1957) is a Swedish composer and conductor of classical music. She composes chamber music, orchestral works, music for the stage, and particularly vocal music, incorporating elements of folk music such as the vocal technique of Kulning. In 2009 she was appointed the first female professor of composition at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm. Career Rehnqvist was born in Stockholm and grew up in Nybro. It was performed in the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam by the Dutch Radio Choir and the Dutch Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Gijs Leenaars. References External links * Karin Rehnqvist Official Website * Karin Rehnqvist chor.com * Music of Today: Karin Rehnqvist Philharmonia Orchestra 27 February 2014 * * Karin Rehnqvist Föreningen svenska tonsättare * Karin Rehnqvist / Swedish Composer Columbia University World Leaders Forum * Karin Rehnqvist Furore-Verlag

Karl-Birger Blomdahl

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Karl-Birger Blomdahl (19 October 1916 – 14 June 1968) was a Swedish composer and conductor born in Växjö. He was educated in biochemistry, but was primarily active in music and by his experimental compositions he became one of the big names in Swedish modernism. His teachers included Hilding Rosenberg. He died in Kungsängen, Stockholm. His third symphony, Facettes – a work in one subdivided movement as a twelve-tone variation-form piece – from 1950 is a major contribution to the repertoire. In 1959 he composed the opera Aniara based on the poem by Harry Martinson. His output of compositions also includes concertos for violin and viola, a chamber concerto for piano, winds and percussion, at least one other opera (Herr von Hancken), and much chamber music, including a trio for clarinet, cello and piano. Works Stage *(1949) Agamemnon *(1958) Aniara, (libretto by Erik Lindegren based on a poem by Harry Martinson) Recorded and released by Columbia Masterworks as a double-album in the mid-60s. An edited version of Aniara was also side 2 of Columbia Masterworks 1968 Eugene Ormandy – Leonard Bernstein cover-version-album of music from 2001: A Space Odyssey.) It was conducted by Werner Jans

Kerstin Jeppsson

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Kerstin Jeppsson (born 29 October 1948) is a Swedish composer. She was born in Nyköping, Sweden, and graduated from the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, where she studied composition with Maurice Karkoff. She received a fellowship to continue her studies at the Kraków Conservatory, where she studied with Krzysztof Meyer and Krzysztof Penderecki for composition and Jozef Radwan for conducting. Jeppsson received a bachelor of arts degree from the Stockholm University in 1977, and graduated with a Master of Fine Arts from the California Institute of the Arts in Santa Clarita in 1979, where she studied with Mel Powell for composition and Daniel Schulman for conducting. Works Jeppsson has composed vocal compositions, instrumental works and chamber music, many of which have been recorded. Recorded works include: *4 småstycken En dröm *Percussione con forza *Prometheus *Embrio *Stråkkvartett no. 2 *I förändring Lyrics: Ulla Olin *Impossibile Lyrics: Göran Sonnevi *I Till Dig Lyrics: Karin Boye *I Rosen Lyrics: Edith Södergran *III Gå ut i skogen Lyrics: Ulla Olin *II Ovetande Lyrics: Ulla Olin *III Kärleksdikt Lyrics: Elsa Grave *II Upptäckt Lyrics: Edith Södergran *II Du är min renas

Klas Torstensson

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Klas Torstensson (born 16 January 1951) is a Swedish-Dutch composer. Career Torstensson was born in Nässjö, and studied composition Ingesunds Musikhögskola, musicology at University of Gothenburg and electronic music at the Institute for Sonology. Torstensson’s compositions are performed by orchestras, ensembles and soloists worldwide and presented on most major European new music festivals: Huddersfield, Ultima (Oslo), Steirischer Herbst (Graz), Wien Modern, Stockholm New Music, Nordic Music Days (Reykjavik/Malmö/Berlin), Gaudeamus (Amsterdam), Warsaw, Gaida (Vilnius), Festival van Vlaanderen (Belgium), Holland Festival (Amsterdam), GAS (Gothenburg), NYYD (Tallinn) and Darmstadt. He was also featured composer at festivals such as Stockholm New Music 1999 (together with Mauricio Kagel and György Kurtág), Time of Music 2001, (Viitasaari, Finland), Montréal-Nouvelles-Musiques 2003 and Sacrum Profanum 2009 (Kraków). During Spring 2009 Klas Torstensson was “composer-in-focus” with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra. City Imprints, a new composition for large symphony orchestra, was commissioned from Torstensson by the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra in 2021 to celebrate the city’s 400t

Kurt Atterberg

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Kurt Magnus Atterberg (, 12 December 188715 February 1974) was a Swedish composer and civil engineer. Along with Ture Rangström, he was one the foremost Swedish composers of the generation succeeding Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Wilhelm Stenhammar and Hugo Alfvén. Atterberg is best known for his symphonies, operas, and ballets. Biography Atterberg was born in Gothenburg. His father was Anders Johan Atterberg, engineer; his uncle was the chemist Albert Atterberg. His mother, Elvira Uddman, was the daughter of a famous male opera singer. In 1902, Atterberg began learning the cello, having been inspired by a concert by the Brussels String Quartet, featuring a performance of Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 8. Six years later he became a performer in the Stockholm Concert Society, now known as the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as publishing his first completed work, the Rhapsody for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 1. His String Quartet No. 1 in D major, Op. 2, soon followed. While already studying electrical engineering at the Royal Institute of Technology, Atterberg also enrolled at the Royal College of Music, Stockholm in 1910 with a score of his Rhapsody and an incomplete versi

Laci Boldemann

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Laci Boldemann (24 April 1921 – 18 August 1969) was a Swedish composer of German and Finnish descent. Life and career Boldemann was born in Helsinki. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London from 1937 to 1939, both conducting (with Henry Wood) and piano, where he continued his studies in Stockholm at the outbreak of war in 1939 with Gunnar de Frumerie. In 1941 his citizenship forced Boldemann to join the German army and fight in the Soviet Union, Poland and Italy; he was later imprisoned in the US and returned to Sweden via France and Germany. References

Lars Edlund

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Lars Edlund (6 November 1922 – 21 December 2013 ) was a Swedish composer, organist and music teacher. Edlund was born in Karlstad, Värmland County. He studied music at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Basel, Switzerland, with Ina Lohr. He was inspired by Gregorian music, and converted to Catholicism later in life. Edlund started working as a church musician in the early 1940s, and was also a teacher at the Swedish Royal College of Music in Stockholm. From 1971 onwards he worked solely as a composer. The majority of his compositions were vocal music, many of them with texts on religious or existentialist themes, Several of his compositions can be found in the 1986 hymnal for the Church of Sweden. He also set poems by Gunnar Ekelöf and Tomas Tranströmer to music. References External links * Lars Edlund (biography and list of works) at Svensk Musik

Lars Jansson (composer)

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Lars Jansson (born 1951) is a Swedish jazz pianist and composer. Life Jansson grew up in Örebro, Sweden, where he was bored by his lessons at the community music school. In his early teens, a relative lent him records of Miles Davis, Ben Webster, and Mose Allison. During the 1960s, he followed the fashion and developed an interest in the organ. He listened to Kjell Öhman play with the Telstars, to Jimmy Smith and Jack McDuff, and to Hammond organ music. Drummer Sjunne Ferger became an important figure in his life, and together they formed a duo: “Takt & Ton” (Beat & Pitch). In 1970, after graduation from upper secondary school, he took a semester off, planning to go on and study medicine. He ended up at dental school, but after a year and a half he decided to switch to music. He was accepted at the Göteborg College of Music, where all the professional musicians had their jam sessions at night. That gave him the opportunity to play with Ove Johansson, Jan Forslund, Conny Sjökvist, Gilbert Holmström, Gunnar Lindgren, and others, and he discovered Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Paul Bley, Bill Evans, Lennie Tristano, Keith Jarrett, and Chick Corea. Lars became a member of Björn Alke’s q

Lars-Erik Larsson

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Lars-Erik Vilner Larsson (15 May 190827 December 1986) was a Swedish composer, conductor, radio producer, and educator. He wrote three of the most popular works (each a suite) in Swedish art music: A Winter’s Tale (; 1937–1938), the Pastoral Suite (; 1938), and God in Disguise (; 1940). Other notable works by Larsson include three symphonies, a sinfonietta, and numerous concertante works. Biography Larsson was born in Åkarp in 1908, the son of a factory worker and a nurse. He studied with Ernst Ellberg at the Stockholm Conservatory (1925–1929) and with Alban Berg and Fritz Reuter in Vienna and Leipzig (1929–1930), then worked for Swedish Radio and taught at the Stockholm Conservatory (1947–1959) and Uppsala University, where he held the position as Director musices (1961–1966). One of his pupils was composer Hans Eklund. His style as a composer is eclectic, ranging from the late Romantic to techniques derived from Arnold Schoenberg’s twelve-note system, but original in method. He was the first Swede to write serial music (1932). Yet other works of that period are post-Sibelian or neo-classical, and his output generally is characterized by variety of style. He wrote for the theatre,

Lars-Gunnar Bodin

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Lars-Gunnar Bodin (15 July 1935 – 10 May 2021) was a Swedish pioneer in the field of electronic music during the 1960s, especially in the Scandinavian scene. Education and early career Bodin was born in Stockholm, and studied classical music and traditional compositions under Lennart Wenström. Bodin joined the art group Fylkingen in 1962. With growing notoriety, Bodin made a point to increase the interest in Swedish artistic electronic music. Works Two of Bodin’s most famous works are “Clouds” LP and “En Face”. In Bodin’s work he has devoted himself to many different fields of contemporary music: instrumental theatre, text-sound composition, multi-media works and interaction between instrumentalists and tape recordings. The encounter between language and music has inspired him with several works, and his compositions frequently include phonetic elements. Concern for detail is one aspect of his working methods which is frequently mentioned by his colleagues. This concentration on the micro level does not impede him from building up large-scale, block-like, multi-layer processes. Notes External links * Ode To Gravity:A Visit with Lars Gunnar Bodin, 1971 * Interviewed by Charles Amirk

Lasse Dahlquist

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Lars Erik (“Lasse”) Dahlquist (14 September 1910 – 14 October 1979) was a Swedish composer, singer and actor. Many of his songs are among the most popular sing-along songs in Sweden, such as Oh boy oh boy oh boy and Gå upp och pröva dina vingar. He was married to Inez Margareta Dahlquist, née Lindquist (1911–2004) from 1936 and they had a son; the saxophonist Robert “Bob” Dahlquist (2 September 1938 – 6 September 2005). On Saltholmen, at the terminal of the boats of Styrsöbolaget, there is a place called Lasse Dahlquists Plats. He was born in Örgryte, and grew up in Lidingö. As a child, he spent his summers at his grandfather’s farm, Langegården, on Brännö, in the Gothenburg archipelago, where he built his own home. He worked at Sven-Olof Sandberg’s music publishment Svenska Noter and in 1931 he began recording gramophone records. In 1977 he received the Evert Taube award. He died on Brännö of laryngeal cancer Selected filmography *Pojkarna på Storholmen (1932) * Jolly Musicians (1932) *Skärgårdsflirt (1935) * Just a Bugler (1938) *Styrman Karlssons flammor (1938) *Sjöcharmörer (1939) * The Crazy Family (1940) * Goransson’s Boy (1941) * It Is My Music (1942) * Eaglets (1944) *Sista

Laura Netzel

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Laura Constance Netzel ( Pistolekors; pseudonym, N Lago; 1 March 1839 — 10 February 1927) was a Finnish-born Swedish composer, pianist, conductor and concert organizer who sometimes used the pseudonym N. Lago. She was born in Rantasalmi, Finland, and was proud of her Finnish heritage throughout her life, even though she was just one year old when she moved permanently to Stockholm. Netzel studied piano with Mauritz Gisiko and Anton Door, voice with Julius Günther and composition with Wilhelm Heinze in Stockholm and Charles-Marie Widor in France. Netzel was active in social causes, including support for poor women, children and workers. In 1866 she married professor Wilhelm Netzel of the Karolinska Institute. She died in Stockholm. Life Laura Pistolekors was born in 1839. In her childhood home, as was customary at the time, frequent music salons were organized; at one of these events the organist Elfrida Andrée premiered her first “Tritet for piano” (1860). Laura performed the piano part with two musicians from the court orchestra on violin and cello. Netzel’s opportunities to perform in public diminished after her marriage, and it was then that she turned her creativity to composit

Lena Willemark

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Lena Willemark (born 12 May 1960) is a Swedish traditional music fiddler, singer, and composer, who combines elements of folk and jazz. Born in Älvdalen, Dalarna, Willemark grew up with the region’s folk music. In Stockholm in the 1970s, she also had contact with jazz. She has collaborated with groups such as Frifot, Enteli, Elise Einarsdotter, and composer Karin Rehnqvist. She recorded Nordan with Ale Möller, winning in 1994 both a Grammis and the Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik. Commissioned by Stockholm, Cultural Capital of Europe in 1998, she composed and performed Windogur. Discography * Lena Willemark När som gräset det vajar, 1989 * Lena Willemark/Ale Möller/Per Gudmundsson Frifot, 1991 * Frifot with Kirsten Bråten-Berg, Musique des vallées scandinaves (Suède - Norvège), 1993 * Lena Willemark/Ale Möller Nordan, 1994 (ECM) * Enteli Enteli, 1994 * Elise Einardotter Ensemble Senses, 1995 * Ale Möller Hästen och Tranan, 1996 * Lena Willemark/Ale Möller Agram, 1996 (ECM) * Frifot Järven, 1996 * Enteli Live, 1997 * Frifot Frifot, 1999 (ECM) * Lena Willemark Windogur, 2000 * Frifot Sluring, 2003 * Lena Willemark Älvdalens Elektriska, 2006 * Frifot Flyt, 2007 * Trees of Ligh

Lisa Streich

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Lisa Streich (born 19 April 1985) is a Swedish composer of contemporary classical music. Motorised instruments and spectral chords characterize her works. Biography Lisa Streich was born on 19 April 1985 in Norra Råda, Sweden. She grew up in Germany Teachers had been Johannes Schöllhorn and Adriana Hölszky. Streich composed FALTER for violin for the 2021 ARD International Music Competition. Until 2023, she was scholarship recipient at the Norwegian Academy of Music, with Helmut Lachenmann as her mentor. In 2024, Streich has been composer-in-residence at the Lucerne Festival and Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. She received commissions by the Berlin Philharmonic (ISHJÄRTA), Lucerne Festival (REIGEN), and NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra (FLÜGEL). The trumpet concerto MEDUSE was premiered in 2024 by the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. Personal life Streich lives on Gotland, Sweden. cold and hot is the contrast in ISHJÄRTA (Ice Heart). Streich uses electronics and prepares instruments with small motorised machines, that create a mechanical sound. Alan Gilbert said in an interview: “She integrates the performers strongly into the creative composition process.” * 2017 Ernst

Lotten Edholm

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Lovisa Christina Charlotta “Lotten” Edholm or af Edholm, née von Heijne (18 April 1839 - 12 July 1930) was a Swedish composer and a pioneer within the Swedish Red Cross. She was born to the nobleman Georg Fredrik von Heijne-Lillienberg and Juliana Charlotta Silfverstolpe, and married Edvard Edholm (1831-1913), physician to the king, in 1867. She served as hovfröken (maid of honour) to the queen dowager Josephine in 1865–67. Lotten Edholm initiated the participation of women in Sweden in the Swedish Red Cross and served as chair of the women’s section of the Swedish Red Cross in 1865–1906. She also started a cooking school in Stockholm. Lotten Edholm was also active as a composer and composed piano music for private use in high society life. In 1919, she published her memoirs, Från barndom till ålderdom (From Childhood to Old Age). Notes References * Svensk uppslagsbok. Malmö 1937. * Lotten af Edholm på Levande Musikarv Further reading *

Ludvig Norman

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Ludvig Norman (28 August 183128 March 1885) was a Swedish composer, conductor, pianist, and music teacher. Together with Franz Berwald and Adolf Fredrik Lindblad, he ranks among the most important Swedish symphonists of the 19th century. Norman was born Fredrik Vilhelm Ludvig Norman in Stockholm. Norman began his musical training with Lindblad and later studied at the Leipzig Conservatory from 1848 to 1852, where he also made the acquaintance of Robert Schumann. Starting in 1857, he taught at the Royal Music Academy of Stockholm. In 1860, he became the conductor of the Nya harmoniska sällskapet and obtained the post of Kapellmeister at the Royal Swedish Opera the following year. After 1881, he conducted the choral concerts of the Musikvorenigen. He was married to the noted violinist Wilma Neruda in 1864. Their son was a famous alpinist. As conductor, he is remembered for premiering Franz Berwald’s fourth symphony on 9 April 1878. Norman composed in a wide variety of genres, including four symphonies, four overtures, four sets of incidental music for plays, cantatas, and chamber music, as well as a great number of lieder and songs for choir. He was the dedicatee of Woldemar Bargiel'

Ludwig Göransson

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Ludwig Emil Tomas Göransson (; ; born 1 September 1984) is a Swedish musician, composer, and record producer. Based in the United States, he is often regarded as one of the most successful composers in Hollywood of the 21st century. For his work in music, film and television, he has received numerous accolades including three Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, two Emmy Awards, two Golden Globes, and six Grammy Awards. As a record producer, he has frequently collaborated with Childish Gambino, producing his studio albums Camp (2011), Because the Internet (2013) and “Awaken, My Love!” (2016), among others. Göransson’s producing work on Gambino’s 2018 single “This Is America” was met with acclaim and accolades, including two Grammy Awards (for Record of the Year and Song of the Year). He has also produced for other recording artists, such as Adele, Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Chance the Rapper, Haim, Justin Timberlake, Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott and Moses Sumney. For television, he received his first break as a composer for the NBC comedy series Community (2009–2015), followed by the Fox comedy series New Girl (2011–2018). Göransson transitioned into dramatic work, scoring t

Madeleine Isaksson

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Madeleine Isaksson (born 1956) is a Swedish/French composer. Biography Madeleine Isaksson studied at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm from 1979 to 1987. She received a diploma as a piano and ensemble teacher after studying under Gunnar Hallhagen, and then studied composition under teachers including Gunnar Bucht and Sven-David Sandström (composition), Pär Lindgren (electroacoustic music), Arne Mellnäs (instrumentation), and Bo Wallner (music theory and analysis). In 1987 she lived in Amsterdam for a year of studies with the composer Louis Andriessen. Meetings with composers at different composition courses in Europe, Brian Ferneyhough, Iannis Xenakis, Morton Feldman and Emmanuel Nunes, have all contributed to Isaksson’s development as a composer. In the early 1990s, she moved to France, where she lives and works near Paris. Works Isaksson has composed for solo, duo, trio, quartet, ensemble, orchestra and vocal music. Instrumental *Chaconne for piano (1982) *7 formade frön (“7 Formed Seeds”) for piano (1984) *Tång (“Seaweed”) for english horn, basson, bass clarinet, contrabass clarinet, harp, harpsichord, cello and double bass (1984) *Capriola for baritone saxophone and tromb

Magnus Lidehäll

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Magnus Lidehäll is a Swedish award-winning producer, composer, and songwriter. He works closely with the songwriting duo Vargas & Lagola – with whom he won the composer of the year award at the Swedish Grammy Awards in 2014. Together they have produced, written, and/or co-written songs for Madonna, Wyclef Jean & Avicii (“Divine Sorrow”), Veronica Maggio and Petter, to name a few. Career Magnus Lidehäll started in a rap / hip hop duo alongside Herbert Munkhammar called Afasi & Filthy. “1990 Nånting”, released with the band Snook in 2002, was their biggest hit. Between 2007 and 2008 he became a member of the successful formation Maskinen. He left Maskinen to focus on writing and producing music for other artists. Today he has a great résumé working with both international and local Swedish artists such as: Seinabo Sey, David Guetta, Katy Perry, Madonna, Silk City, Britney Spears and many more. He has also worked with producers such as Bloodshy & Avant and Sebastian Ingrosso. Together with Bloodshy and Henrik Jonback Magnus co-wrote and produced “How I Roll” & “Trip To Your Heart” from Britney Spears’s album Femme Fatale, which was released in March 2011. On Katy Perry’s 2013 album “P

Mansoor Hosseini

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Mansoor Hosseini (; born 1967) is an Iranian-Swedish percussionist and composer of classical music, born in Iran, who studied in Paris and Brussels. His works comprise chamber music and orchestral pieces. He founded the Ensemble Themus in Gothenburg, focussed on theatrical music. Career Hosseini studied composition with Philippe Capdenat and Yoshihisa Taïra in Paris. He studied music theory and computer music with Peter Swinnen at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels and composition with Carl-Axel Hall in the Musikhögskolan (sv) of Gothenborg. External links * *Themus Ensemble members

Marcus Österdahl

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Marcus Österdahl (born 27 January 1943) is a Swedish musical director and entrepreneur. The Telstars In 1963, Österdahl was one of the founder members of , a pop-jazz group consisting of some of the most sought after session musicians in Sweden. They were the “house-band” in the monthly TV-Show Drop-In backing most artists in the show and were also the support act for the Beatles on their first tour of Sweden in 1963. Musical career After leaving The Telstars in 1966, Österdahl mainly devoted his talent and time to working as an independent arranger/producer for the major record companies. Many well-known Swedish acts were accompanied by Marcus Österdahl’s Choir & Orchestra, with about 30 tracks reaching number one on the charts. Among Österdahl’s hits as an arranger is “Du är den ende”, the title track from singer Lill Lindfors’ 1967 gold album. That same year, Marcus Österdahl composed, together with producer Curt Pettersson and lyricist Patrice Hellberg, the Swedish entry “Som en dröm” for the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna. Due to the constant demand for time in recording studios, Österdahl developed an interest in the business operation of these highly technical facilities

Margareta Hallin

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Gunhild Margareta Hallin Ekerot (20 February 1931 – 9 February 2020) was a Swedish opera singer, composer and actress. Early life and debut Hallin was born on 20 February 1931, in Karlskoga. Hallin’s voice has been described as a coloratura soprano. She was considered to have the talent required for the international scene, but she chose to stay in Sweden. Her opera roles in the 1950s to 1970s included the blind poetess in Karl-Birger Blomdahl’s Aniara, Anne Trulove in Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress, the title role in Verdi’s La traviata, Therese in Lars Johan Werle’s Drömmen om Thérèse, and the Queen Mother in Georg Joseph Vogler’s Gustaf Adolf och Ebba Brahe. Hallin also performed in Glyndebourne, Florence, Vienna, Hamburg, Moscow, London and Copenhagen, as well as making a tour in the Soviet Union. In the mid-1980s, she started composing music. Encouraged by composer Eberhard Eyser, she made her debut in 1986 with poems set to music. The poems were by Nils Ferlin, Harry Martinson, Werner Aspenström and Alf Henrikson – she performed a medley of these in the Drottningholm Palace Church. She was elected as a member of the Swedish Society of Composers in 1990 and was awarded the h

Marie Samuelsson

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Marie Samuelsson (born 15 February 1956) is a Swedish composer. Biography Marie Samuelsson was born in Stockholm, Sweden. She studied piano and improvisation at Birkagården College from 1979 to 1981, musicology at the Stockholm University from 1982 to 1983 and composition at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm from 1987 to 1995 with Sven-David Sandström, Daniel Börtz and Pär Lindgren. She later continued her studies with George Benjamin and 2001 she complemented her studies with Stage d’été for professional composers at Ircam in Paris. Samuelsson is a member of the Royal Swedish Music Academy since 2005. In December 2012, she was elected to vice preses in the presidium of the Royal Swedish Music Academy. Samuelsson was the featured composer of a four-day festival in Stockholm in May 2007 for which her orchestra piece Singla was commissioned and premièred by the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. Awards * 2008 Kurt Atterberg Prize * 2024 Rosenberg Prize Works Selected works include: *Andra platser (Other places), for alto voice, cello, and percussion, 1989 *Katt: Nio liv (Cat: Nine lives), for woodwind quintet, 1989 *Från Indien till Mars (From India to Mars), dance music f

Martin Terefe

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Martin Terefe (born 18 April 1969, Stockholm, Sweden ) is a Swedish record producer and songwriter, now living and working in London, who has produced Grammy, Brit and Juno award -winning albums with artists like Jason Mraz, James Morrison and KT Tunstall. He is also a member of the group Apparatjik. Biography Terefe spent his early years in Caracas in Venezuela, where he learned to play the guitar, before moving back to Stockholm in 1979. He travelled to the UK and the US, where he met Michael Dixon, the manager of singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith, and who later became Terefe’s manager. Terefe’s early productions in Stockholm were for Swedish artists Sara Isaksson, Ardis and André de Lange. In 1996 Terefe moved to London and set up his own recording studio, Kensaltown Studios, named after Kensal Town, the district of west London where the studios are located. He produced several of Sexsmith’s albums during the 2000s and has gone on to write and produce songs and albums by KT Tunstall, a-ha, Jason Mraz, James Morrison, Martha Wainwright, Train, Cat Stevens, Mary J. Blige, Jamie Cullum, Alyssa Bernal, Beverley Knight and Westlife. Terefe’s productions won two awards at the 2010 Grammy

Martin Tingvall

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Martin Tingvall (born 1974 ) is a Swedish jazz pianist and composer. Biography Tingvall was born in Tomelilla. He was raised in the southern Swedish county of Skåne and attended a music school there. He continued his education at the local Folk high school of Skurup, and then studied jazz piano, composition and improvisation at the Malmö School of Music. Tingvall was taught inter alia by the Swedish jazz pianist Bobo Stenson. In between, he completed a semester abroad in the Netherlands, at the Hanzehogeschool Groningen. In 1999 he graduated from Malmö. Then he moved to Hamburg, where he worked with Udo Lindenberg, Gunter Gabriel, Inga Rumpf, Baschi and Mandy Capristo. In 2003, Tingvall founded the Tingvall Trio together with bassist Omar Rodriguez Calvo and drummer Jürgen Spiegel, for which he was leased and also composed all the pieces. The trio was awarded three times with the Echo Jazz, and has successfully established itself internationally. Occasionally he also played in the Tim Rodig Group. Tingvall also writes and produces film scores (Jahr des Drachen, Year of the Dragon, 2012, Crime Scene: Another World and Crime Scene: Spooky Worlds, 2013) as well as songs for other arti

Mathilda d'Orozco

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Mathilda Valeria Beatrix d’Orozco (14 June 1796 – 19 October 1863), also by marriage known as Cenami, Montgomery-Cederhjelm and Gyllenhaal, was a Swedish (originally Spanish-Italian) noble and salonist, composer, poet, writer, singer, amateur actress and harpsichordist. Biography D’Orozco was born in Italy to the Spanish ambassador in Milan, Count Nicolas Blasco d’Orozco and Sabina Lederer. She was first married to marquess Cenami, stable master of the court of the sister of Napoleon, Princess Elisa Bonaparte, while she was appointed lady-in-waiting to Elisa. She was widowed before she was twenty. In 1817 in Vienna, she married second to the Swedish Count colonel Josias Montgomery-Cederhjelm (d. 1825), with whom she had four children. In 1839, she married the Swedish Baron Carl Alexander Fredrik Gyllenhaal. In connection with her second marriage (1817), d’Orozco moved to Sweden, where she was to live the rest of her life. In Sweden, she became a noted socialite in the capital, later called “one of the most noted ornaments in the salons of high society during the first happy and vibrant period of the reign of Charles XIV John (reign 1818–1844). Used to the warmer climate of Italy, s

Mats Lidström

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Mats Lidström (born 1959) is a Swedish solo cellist, recording artist, chamber musician, composer, teacher and publisher. His first teacher was Maja Vogl, of the music conservatory in Gothenburg. He then went on to study at the Juilliard School (New York) with Leonard Rose whose own teaching goes straight back to Luigi Boccherini (via Felix Salmond, Bernard Whitehouse, Alfredo Piatti and Gaetano Zanetti). Lidström plays the “Grützmacher” Rocca (Giuseppe Rocca 1857). Career In performance Lidström has performed and recorded as a soloist with some of the world’s major orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Czech Philharmonic and the Dallas Symphony, with conductors such as André Previn, Andrew Litton, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Maxim Shostakovich, Leif Segerstam, Osmo Vänskä, Franz Welser-Möst and Lü Jia. He has worked as principal cellist with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, The Philharmonia, Britten Sinfonia, Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra and St Martin-in-the-Fields of London, The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Royal Scottish National Orchestr

Matti Bye

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Matti Bye (born 25 July 1966) is a Swedish pianist and composer. He has composed music for over 30 films and TV series as well as additional scores for theatre and dance pieces. In 2014, he was nominated twice at Sweden’s Guldbagge Awards in which his soundtrack for the film Faro won the award. He also won a Gudbagge in 2009 for his score for the film Everlasting Moments. He has recorded and released numerous solo and collaboration records, include Hydra’s Dream, with Anna von Hausswolff; Maailma, with cult Finnish songwriter Lau Nau; and has collaborated live with producer and musician Samuli Kosminen. Life and career Source: Bye was brought up by his mother, renowned Swedish actress Birgitta Andersson, while his father was Norwegian playwright Anders Bye. At the age of 20, Stockholm’s celebrated Cinematheque Theatre contacted Bye about performing live to old silent films. “Silent film music was like a blank spot on the music map, but I recognised the freedom I’d have as a musician, and the force of the poetry in these forgotten images. To play piano for these films was like a dream. So I started my own ‘university’ in the cinema, improvising directly in front of the film screen,

Mattias Olsson

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Mattias Olsson (born 9 January 1975) started his career as a classical percussionist playing in orchestras and big bands on Ekerö outside of Stockholm. As a sideline to recording and producing bands Mattias Olsson writes articles (music-related) for several Swedish magazines. Early life He was born in Hong Kong to Swedish parents. In 1981 he moved to Stockholm. Starting as a drummer at eight years old he started off playing in big bands, pop and classical ensembles. Career When he was 17 he joined progressive rock band Änglagård. Änglagård consisted of musicians from Ekerö as well as Waxholm. The band was heavily influenced by bands such as King Crimson, Yes and Genesis but also listened to less famous bands such as Shylock, Cathedral and Yezda Urfa. Änglagård quickly became known for their instrumentation skills and their dynamic range often reminiscent of classical music. When the band started the current trend in progressive rock was to use the newest digital equipment. Änglagård decided instead to use old classic prog equipment like the Rickenbacker bass, Minimoog and the Mellotron. Änglagård recorded two studio albums in the 1990s, Hybris (1992) and Epilog (1994). They also re

Michael B. Tretow

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Bo Michael Tretow (20 August 1944 – 20 May 2025) was a Swedish record producer and audio engineer, musician, and composer, best known for his work with the Swedish pop group ABBA (1972–1982), and with the musical Chess. He also composed several themes and jingles for Swedish national radio and television. Tretow was born in Norrköping. He began working at Metronome Studios in Stockholm in 1967. In 1970 he started working in earnest with Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson and the three men got on well together. Tretow experimented with different recording techniques, and played an essential part in creating the “ABBA sound”. All four members of the band paid tribute to Tretow, with Benny Andersson saying: “You meant more to us four in ABBA than anyone else… I hope and believe that you felt it throughout all the years that have passed since we worked (and continuously laughed) in the studio. Our music lives on, it seems, and you are the one who made it timeless. You were a fantastic inspirer and joy-maker. And the finest sound engineer the world has ever seen.” Discography As an artist * Mikael & Michael (1966, with Mikael Ramel) * Let’s boogie (1976) * Caramba (1981, with Ted Gärde

Michael Saxell

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Michael Saxell (born 1 October 1956) is a Swedish singer-songwriter, composer, lyricist, multi-instrumentalist and producer. He was born in Helsingborg, Sweden but has spent many years on the Canadian west coast. He composed music for the Colin Nutley movie Änglagård – andra sommaren and for the soundtrack of Blådårar. Career Saxell co-wrote the Swedish No. 1 hit song “If I Were Sorry”, the Swedish Song of the Year Grammy Winner 2017 and winner of Melodifestivalen 2016 In March 2021, it had received more than 94 million Spotify plays and is certified seven x platinum status in Sweden, twice platinum in Poland, gold status in Germany and Austria. The song placed fifth in the Eurovision Song Contest finals in 2016. He is co-writer of the Swedish No. 1 hit song “Johnny G (The Guidetti Song)”, performed by artist Badpojken, the artists’ collective Michael Saxell, Fredrik Andersson and Ingvar Irhagen. The song was released mid July 2015 and achieved Swedish quadruple-platinum status within 12 months of its release and has, as of March 2021, reached over 45 million plays on Spotify. Vocalist on “Johnny G” is Frida Green. Saxell is co-writer with Craig Jacks on “Back Of A Map Of The Moon”

Mikael Karlsson (composer)

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Mikael Karlsson (Johan Mikael Karlsson; born August 12, 1975, in Halmstad, Sweden) is a Swedish composer based in New York City. He grew up in Gävle, Sweden and moved to NYC in 2001 to study and he took a master’s degree in classical composition at the Aaron Copland School of Music 2005. Before the move, he had come to know Stefan Strandberg, who became the audio designer of the video game developer Digital Illusions CE which led to a request to make the music to Battlefield: Bad Company released in 2008. He also wrote the music for Battlefield: Bad Company 2. Mikael Karlsson has collaborated with the choreographer Alexander Ekman on several occasions. He has, among other things, written music for Ekman’s ballets and sets of Tyll and Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Royal Opera in Stockholm, Sweden and Swan Lake on the Oslo Opera in Oslo, Norway. They became good friends when Ekman’s sister moved into the apartment that Karlsson inhabited in NYC. Mikael Karlsson has, in addition to classic sets, also made music for film and TV and collaborated with pop artists such as Andreas Kleerup, Lykke Li and Alicia Keys. In 2014, he was praised by the American Academy of Arts and Letters when h

Nanne Grönvall

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Marianne Elisabeth Grönvall (, née Nordqvist; born 18 May 1962), known by her stage name Nanne (), is a Swedish singer-songwriter. Biography Grönvall’s musical career started in the 1980s group Sound of Music. The trio participated twice in the Swedish Eurovision Song Contest selections, Melodifestivalen, finishing fourth both times; in 1986 with “Eldorado” and in 1987 with “Alexandra”. Over the following ten years, she established herself as a songwriter in Melodifestivalen, writing two songs for the 1992 competition and the 1995 runner-up “Det vackraste” (“The Most Beautiful Thing”) performed by Cecilia Vennersten. From 1991 till 1997, she was a member of the group One More Time with her husband, Peter Grönvall, and Maria Rådsten. They won the Melodifestivalen 1996 final with the folk-ballad “Den vilda” (recorded in English as “The Wilderness Mistress”). It finished third (out of 23) in the Eurovision Song Contest 1996 behind Norway and winners Ireland. Boosted by this, Nanne began a solo career following One More Time’s final album in 1997. In 1998 she returned to Melodifestivalen with “Avundsjuk” (“Envious”), a satirical song about her hatred of successful people. For the Melod

Nils Lindberg

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Nils Lindberg (11 June 1933 – 20 February 2022) was a Swedish composer and pianist. Biography Lindberg was born in Uppsala on 11 June 1933. He was known both as a jazz composer and musician, but was also active in other styles. Lindberg died on 20 February 2022, at the age of 88. Discography class=“wikitable sortable” !Year recorded !Title !Label !Notes - 1960 Sax Appeal Barben Some tracks quintet, some tracks septet; with Rolf Billberg (alto sax), Harry Backlund and Allan Lundstrom (tenor sax), Lars Gullin (baritone sax), Sture Nordin (bass), Conny Svensson (drums) - 1962 Trisection Most tracks with Idrees Sulieman and Jan Allan (trumpet), Sven-Olof Walldoff (bass trumpet), Eje Thelin (trombone), Olle Holmqvist (tuba), Rolf Billberg (alto sax), Bertil Lofdahl and Harry Backlund (tenor sax), Erik Nilsson (baritone sax), Sture Nordin (bass), Sture Kallin (drums) - 1970 Contradictions (Club Jazz 1) - 1972 7 dalmålningar Swedish Society Discofil Bibliography *As You are, Music Memories (2006), Swedish, 168 pages, Stockholm: Svenskt visarkiv, Jazz Department at The Centre for Swedish Folk Music and Jazz Research, 0281-5567 ; 17 References External links *Composer’s website, accessed 8

Nils-Göran Areskoug

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Nils-Göran Areskoug (18 May 1951 – 10 June 2025) was a Swedish physician, musicologist, composer, and author. He served as Associate Professor in Transdisciplinary Research at the Swedish Academy and as Associate Professor in Musicology at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland. Early life and education Areskoug was born in Växjö, Sweden on 18 May 1951. He trained as a medical doctor and was certified as a cantor and organist at the Lund Cathedral in 1968. Early music teachers in Växjö included Nils Andersson, Ture Olsson, Janis Ozolins, Sylvia Mang-Borenberg, and Ladis and Boiana Müller. He studied musicology with Martin Tegen and literature with E.N. Tigerstedt at Stockholm University (from 1970), was supervised in his doctoral studies by Ingmar Bengtsson at Uppsala University (1974) and mentored by Bo Wallner at Royal University College of Music, Stockholm. As a pianist, he studied at the Mozarteum University of Salzburg with Hans Leygraf in 1969 and, as a conductor, with Sergiu Celibidache in Mainz, Stuttgart and Munich from 1978 to 1995. As a composer, Areskoug attended seminars with mentors such as Olivier Messiaen in Paris 1973, and György Ligeti in Stockholm, during the 197

Olav Roots

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Olav Roots (26 February 1910 – 30 January 1974) was an Estonian conductor, pianist and composer. Roots was born in Uderna. He studied at the Music School of Tartu from 1923 to 1928, studying piano with Artur Lemba and composition under Heino Eller with musicians such as Eduard Tubin, Eduard Oja, Alfred Karindi and Karl Leichter. He then studied at the Estonian Music Academy in Tallinn, where he subsequently taught piano and music theory until 1935. In addition, he completed his piano studies with Alfred Cortot in Paris. In 1942 he studied with Clemens Krauss in Salzburg. In 1944, Roots moved to Sigtuna in Sweden. He taught there at the Estonian School and directed the Stockholm Joint Youth Choir. In November 1952 he became conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia in Bogotá, Colombia, His Symphony dedicated to the Colombia Symphony Orchestra was first performed under his direction 10 November 1967, and he was made an Honorary citizen of Colombia the same year. He died in Bogotá. References

Olle Elgenmark

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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

Oscar Ahnfelt

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Oscar Ahnfelt (1813–1882) was a Swedish singer, composer and music publisher. Biography Ahnfelt composed the music for many of Lina Sandell’s hymns. He was a pietist, who traveled all over Scandinavia, playing his 10-string guitar and singing her lyrics. The state church authorities did not like pietistic hymns and, anticipating a royal injunction against the singing of Sandell’s songs, ordered Ahnfelt to sing them before King Karl XV. But after hearing them, the King announced to Ahnfelt, “You may sing as much as you desire in both of my kingdoms.” Sandell–Ahnfelt hymns have spread throughout the world. Two of the best-known ones in English are Children of the Heavenly Father (Tryggare kan ingen vara) Jenny Lind, known worldwide as the “Swedish Nightingale”, was also a pietist and popularized Sandell’s hymns in the United States and wherever she sang. She additionally helped finance Ahnfelt’s Andeliga Sånger (Sacred Songs), first published in 1850. *Blott en dag: lyrics by Lina Sandell *Guds barn jag är: lyrics by Carl Olof Rosenius *Herrens nåd är var morgon ny: lyrics by Lina Sandell *I en djup, oändlig skog: lyrics by Carl Olof Rosenius *Jag är främling: lyrics by Betty Ehrenbo

Oskar Lindberg (composer)

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Oskar Fredrik Lindberg (23 February 1887 – 10 April 1955) was a Swedish composer, church musician, teacher and professor. In 1939 he edited the Church of Sweden’s hymnbook. His 1912 Requiem was of particular importance to the history of Swedish liturgical works. Biography Lindberg was born in Gagnef, Dalarna, Sweden in 1887. At the age of fourteen, he was already playing the organ at mass in his home town. From 1903 to 1911, he studied at the Royal Swedish Academy of Music, where he graduated as an organist in 1906. At the same time, he studied composition with Ernst Ellberg and Andreas Hallén, supplementing this with studies in conducting at the academy in Sondershausen, with further specialization in Germany and Austria. From 1906 to 1914 he worked as organist at Trefaldighetskyrkan in Stockholm and from 1914 to 1955 at Engelbrektskyrkan. He taught harmony at the Royal Academy of Music from 1919 to 1952 and was appointed professor there in 1936. He was a member of the Swedish Royal Academy of music from 1926 until his death. Lindberg participated in the production of the 1939 hymn book. He also wrote many non-religious works, including a symphony and symphonic poems. At a meeting

Otto Lindblad

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Otto Jonas Lindblad (31 March 1809 – 26 January 1864), was a Swedish composer. He is most famous for the musical score of Kungssången, the Swedish royal anthem. Otto Lindblad was the son of a clergyman. He was born in Karlstorp and attended gymnasium in Växjö. In 1829 he began academic studies at the University of Lund where he was a pupil of Mathias Lundholm. In Lund, he formed a group with A. E. Christernin and J. Meurling, together with whom he played and sang a type of three part music pieces. The group became known as the “musical trefoil band”. In 1836 he ended his studies and fully devoted his time to music. Two years later he formed the Lund Student Singers Association. On 5 December 1844 he presented the Royal Anthem for the first time, at a celebration for King Oscar I. In 1846 Lindblad undertook a national tour with the noted Lund Quartet. The tour’s revenue was to have been used for student housing in Lund, but the profit was too small and they only managed to bring home 1500 Riksdaler. In the spring of 1847 he took up the position of parish clerk and organist in Mellby. He married Emma Andersson in 1855. Their only child, a daughter, died as an infant. Otto Lindblad di

Otto Olsson

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Otto Emanuel Olsson (19 December 1879 – 1 September 1964) was a Swedish organist and classical music composer. Life and career Olsson, a native of Stockholm, was one of the most renowned organ virtuosos of his time. He studied organ with August Lagergren (1848−1908) and composition with Joseph Dente (1838−1905), both teachers having been employed at the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. Later Olsson himself joined the faculty there, becoming teacher of harmony (1908–24) and then organ (1924–45). Meanwhile he was also the organist at the Gustaf Vasa Church in Stockholm. He became a member of the Swedish Royal Academy of Music in 1915. Olsson used his strong background in counterpoint, combined with an affinity for French organ music, to develop his late Romantic style of composition. He also had an interest in early music and, though not a Catholic but a Lutheran, used the plainchant techniques of Gregorian chant in his Gregorianska melodier. At times he explored polytonality in his output, an advancement not found in other Swedish compositions of the time. In addition to many fine pieces for the organ, he produced various choral works, the most often performed of which is his setting

Pär Lund

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Pär Lund (born 25 September 1972) is a Swedish pianist and composer. Education Lund began composing and playing the piano at the age of 7 and initiated his formal education in 1991 with professor Esther Bodin-Karpe at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm. In 1994 he continued at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki where he until 2002 studied piano with professor Juhani Lagerspetz and composition with Erkki Jokinen and Olli Kortekangas. Following graduation, Lund concluded his studies at the masterprogram in piano at Stockholm’s Royal College of Music 2002–2006 with professor Staffan Scheja. Lund has also participated in masterclasses for Dmitri Bashkirov, Eero Heinonen, Alfons Kontarsky, Radoslav Kvapil, Jacob Lateiner, László Simon, Valerian Vishnevsky and others. Career Lund’s pianistic career began to show promise in his late teens when he in 1992 won Kil’s International Piano Competition, followed by his entrance in the Ennio Porrino International Piano Competition in Cagliari where he reached the finals and was awarded for finest interpretation. He has since given piano recitals in Finland, Germany, France, Spain, Russia, Luxembourg and other countries, and has appeared in bot

Peer Åström

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Peer Åström (born in Ljusdal, Sweden) is a Swedish composer, lyricist, musician, and record producer and partner. He has collaborated with artists such as Madonna, Celine Dion, Enrique Iglesias, Miley Cyrus, and Selena Gomez, contributing to a staggering 125 albums with 520 performers. Notably, he was involved in the popular TV series Glee, earning two #1 Billboard singles, eight #1 iTunes singles, and 4 Grammy nominations. In film and TV scoring, his notable projects include the musical Journey to Bethlehem, American Horror Story, the Fox TV series Monarch, the Nickelodeon show Kally’s Mashup, and the movie The Prom. Åström’s earlier works include the DreamWorks Animation Film Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie and scoring for the Dirty Dancing (2017 film) soundtrack. Additionally, he co-scored and co-produced The Passion: New Orleans. Career After high school, Åström studied music, moved to Stockholm, and became a session musician for several artists. Åström plays bass, guitar, keyboards and drums. After Anders Bagge, already a well-known producer and songwriter, heard a couple of Åström’s songs, he invited Åström to collaborate with him on some writing/recording projects.

Per-Martin Hamberg

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Per-Martin Hamberg (born 14 July 1912 in Grundsunda, Sweden,– d. 11. December 1974 in Lidingö, Sweden) was a Swedish composer, scriptwriter, director, author and radio producer. Per-Martin Hamberg was born in Ångermanland, but, at age 3, came to Stugun in Jämtland County where his father worked as priest. Per-Martin finished High School at Östersund in 1932. Already during his high school years he performed at local city shows with his own melodies. Then he moved to Stockholm, where he passed the exam in Philosophy at Stockholm University in 1939. In high school at Östersund he met Karin Juel, and with her help he was able to publish a number of melodies, including Stora Skrällen and a ballade on the fiddlers of the French king. Karin Juel often hired Hamberg to be her accompanying pianist. During his first year in Stockholm, Hamberg describes his aspiration for his former hometown Östersund in the known melody „Nu tänds åter ljuse i min lilla stad“ under the pseudonym Erik Decker. Hamberg was hired by Sveriges Radiotjänst in 1945. Two years later he became head of the entertainment section and reorganized the radio entertainment program. Some of the radio shows which were redefine

Princess Cecilia of Sweden (1807–1844)

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Cecilia of Sweden (22 June 1807 – 27 January 1844) was a composer, a Swedish princess by birth, and Grand Duchess of Oldenburg by marriage. She was the daughter of King Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden and Frederica of Baden. Biography After birth, she was raised under the supervision of the royal governess Charlotte Stierneld. The youngest of four children, Cecilia left Sweden in 1810 with her family after her father was deposed as king of Sweden by the Coup of 1809. She was raised in her mother’s home country, the Grand Duchy of Baden (Germany). After her parents were divorced in 1812, she was raised mainly by her grandmother Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt in Bruchsal. She met Augustus, Grand Duke of Oldenburg in 1830, and after an hour’s conversation, the marriage was decided. She went to her brother in Vienna, where her wedding took place in the presence of the Austrian Emperor Francis I. She relocated to the city of Oldenburg in June 1831. Cecilia had an interest in culture. As Grand Duchess of Oldenburg she composed the melody of a hymn for Oldenburg. The hymn was later added with lyrics by Theodor von Kobbe and named ‘Heil dir, o Oldenburg’. In 1833, Cecila supported the founding of the

Rachel Galinne

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Rachel Galinne (Rachel S. Gluchowicz; Hebrew: רחל גלעין; born 7 February 1949) is an Israeli composer. Life and career Rachel Galinne was born in Stockholm, Sweden. She graduated from Uppsala University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1974 and then studied composition with Leon Schidlowsky at the Rubin Academy at Tel Aviv University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree in 1984 and a Master of Music degree in 1988. She also studied composition with Witold Lutoslawski in France, and attended Darmstadt. After completing her studies, she worked as a composer. In 1994 she received the Prime Minister’s Prize for Composers and the ACUM Prize. Discography Galinne has issued the following CD albums available at the Israel Music Institute: *Rachel Galinne (1999) *Prisms (2004) *I Will Walk in the Land of the Living (2008) *A Voice Crieth in the Wilderness (2011) Works Selected works include: *Islossning, 2 pianoforte, percussion, 1984 *Cycles, 1986 *Concerto, 2 pianoforte, orchestra, 1988 *Trio, cl, va, pianoforte, 1989 *Symphony no.1, 1996 *Symphony no.2, 1998 *Uneginotai Nenagen And We Shall Sing my Song of Praise (Isaiah xxxviii), 16-pt mixed chorus, 1993 *Amitai in memo

Ralph Lundsten

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Ralph Harold Lundsten (6 October 1936 – 5 July 2023) was a Swedish composer, widely regarded as a pioneer of electronic music in Scandinavia. In addition to his musical work, he was also active as a film director, visual artist, and author. Over the course of his career, he released more than 80 albums, often exploring themes related to nature, Nordic mysticism, and futurism. Among his recognitions, he received the Illis quorum medal from the Swedish government in 2008 for his contributions to Swedish culture, and his piece Out in the Wide World was used for decades as the interval signal of Radio Sweden International. Life and career Lundsten was born and raised in Ersnäs, in the northern Swedish province of Norrbotten. He later settled in Nacka, on the outskirts of Stockholm, where he lived in a distinctive pink wooden mansion built in 1878, known as Castle Frankenburg. The house also served as the location of his private electronic music workshop, the Andromeda Studio, one of the earliest studios of its kind in Sweden. During the 1950s, Lundsten began constructing his own electronic musical instruments and experimenting with sound, positioning himself among the earliest pioneers

Rickard Göransson

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Rickard Bertil Göransson is a Swedish songwriter, producer, and musician. He was the lead guitarist for American alternative rock band Carolina Liar. He has written and produced for artists including Ariana Grande, Jessie J, Nicki Minaj, Avril Lavigne, Ellie Goulding, Enrique Iglesias, Nick Jonas, Charlie Puth, and Selena Gomez. Göransson’s songwriting credits include eight-times-platinum “Bang Bang”, two-times-platinum “God Is a Woman”, and “Husavik” (from the 2020 film Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga), which won the Society of Composers and Lyricists’ Outstanding Original Song for Visual Media in 2021. Personal life Born and raised in Växjö, Sweden, he attended the Stockholm Conservatory of Music. He is based in Los Angeles, California. Career Carolina Liar Rickard joined the band Carolina Liar in 2007. The band is best known for the songs “I’m Not Over” and “Show Me What I’m Looking For” from their 2008 major-label debut album, Coming to Terms, produced by Swedish producers Max Martin and Tobias Karlsson. The band was the supporting act on the David Cook/Gavin Degraw 2011 Fall Tour. In 2012, they were the opening act for the Kelly Clarkson/The Fray Tour. They als

Rickard Näslin

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Rickard Näslin (born 24 September 1947 in Östersund) is a Swedish musician based in Jämtland, Sweden. He is a violinist and composer of Swedish folk music. Näslin was a founding member of the folk music group Leikstulaget in 1974, and established the Östersunds Spelmanslag (Fiddle Company of Ostersund) in 1993. He was honoured with the title of riksspelman (Swedish for ‘National Spelman’) in 1978 and the Lapp-Nils Medal in 1998. References Jones, Petra: Jämtland (Sweden) Forest, Fjörds, and Fiddles, in Fiddler Magazine (Fall 2006) External links * *Jamtlandica.com Folk Music from Jämtland, Sweden with tunes in MP3 to download Listen to Rickard Näslin’s compositions *Jeanettes brudvals This tune in note form *Schottis från Rödon This tune in note form *Görels vals *Farbror Olles Ganglat Rickard Näslin (violin) and Göran Andersson (violin) play Lapp-Nils songs from Western Jämtland: *Lapp-Nils polska, after Johan Olofsson Munter Mattmar *Lapp-Nils polska, after Bengt Bixo Mörsil

Robert Skowronski

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Robert Krzysztof Skowronski (born 28 April 1980) is a Polish-born Swedish musician, songwriter and record producer. He participated at Melodifestivalen 2025 as a songwriter for the winning song “Bara bada bastu” performed by the group KAJ. Biography Robert Skowronski studied at Urdang Academy in London, where he completed the three-year musical artist training. He participated in the talent show Popstars on Kanal 5, where he won, and made his breakthrough with the group Supernatural the same year. Skowronski has been a member of the pop group NEXX and was also a member of the show group Male for a period. He has participated in the Melodifestivalen 2007, where he danced and sang behind Elin Lanto and Jimmy Jansson. Together with the rest of the former ensemble from the Swedish Mamma Mia! cast, he recorded all the choral music for the film of the same name. In 2009, Skowronski and the other members of NEXX were awarded the prize for International Hit of the Year at the Eska Music Awards in Poland and as Newcomer of the Year in Romania. Skowronski is now a co-owner of the music label and publisher Emperial. Some of the artists he has collaborated with as A&R are Alina Devecerski, Alc

Robert Wells (composer)

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Robert Henry Arthur Wells (born 7 April 1962) is a Swedish singer, songwriter and musician best known for the musical , which contains elements of rock, classical and boogie-woogie. Early life and career Wells was born in Stockholm. He attended the Adolf Fredrik’s Music School in Stockholm at the age of 7 in 1969 and four years later, at the age of 11, became the youngest person ever to attend the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. At the age of 16 in 1978, Wells won two major Swedish talent contests. Wells has also participated twice in Melodifestivalen. Wells was the musical director of two Swedish television shows. Wells appeared regularly on Så ska det låta, the Swedish version of The Lyrics Board. Wells’s first musical tour was with the Leningrad Orchestra in 1990. Wells’s music was chosen as the official television theme music for the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing. Eurovision Wells played piano during the Belarus entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 on 25 May performed by 3+2. Discography Albums “—” denotes releases that did not chart or unknown. Singles class=“wikitable” - ! rowspan=“2” Year ! rowspan=“2” Single ! colspan=“3” Peak chart positions ! rowspan=“2” Certificatio

Ruben Liljefors

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Ruben Mattias Liljefors (30 September 1871 – 4 March 1936) was a Swedish composer and conductor, brother of the artist Bruno Liljefors. Life Liljefors was born and died in Uppsala. He also studied in Uppsala with Ivar Eggert Hedenblad until 1895, and subsequently in Leipzig with Salomon Jadassohn until 1899. Later he attended the Stockholm Conservatory. He completed his education with Felix Draeseke, Max Reger, and Hermann Ludwig Kutzschbach. From 1902 to 1911, he conducted the choir and orchestra of the Gothenburg Philharmonic Society. Afterwards, he moved to Gävle to conduct the Gävleborg County Orchestra between 1912 and 1931; he also served as a music teacher at the Gävle higher general secondary school during this time. He composed a symphony, a concert overture, a festival overture, an orchestral suite, a piano concerto, a violin sonata, many choral works and songs. One of his best-known pieces is the Swedish Christmas carol När det lider mot jul. His son, Ingemar Liljefors, was also a successful composer, and his grandson, Mats Liljefors, is a well known conductor and violinist. Works (selection) Orchestra * Overture in C Minor, WoO (1897) * Symphony in E flat Major, Op. 14

Rutger Gunnarsson

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Johan Rutger Gunnarsson (12 February 1946 – 30 April 2015) was a Swedish musician, bass guitarist, guitarist, arranger and producer. He was closely associated with the pop group ABBA. Career Gunnarsson grew up in Ledberg parish. His career began with Björn Ulvaeus in the Hootenanny Singers. He went on to work with ABBA, playing on all their albums and participating in their tours. He later worked on several musicals and musical events, including: Chess, Les Misérables, Rhapsody In Rock, 007, Mamma Mia! and Diggiloo. Gunnarsson also arranged strings and played bass for others, including Celine Dion, Westlife, Elton John, Lee Hazlewood, Adam Ant, and Bobbysocks. He produced and arranged music for artists such as Gwen Stefani, Elin Lanto, Joyride, and Alla Pugacheva. References External links * *Anders Hanser: Rutger Gunnarsson. Bass Player, December 2000, p. 18

Ruth Almén

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Ruth Sofia Almén (pen name Runar Alm; 24 September 1870 – 19 November 1945), was a Swedish composer, pianist, teacher, author and poet. She published a number of compositions, including nine songs, piano and violin sonatas, and a concerto for piano and orchestra. She also published a collection of poetry, journal articles, and children’s stories. Biography Almén was born in Solberga rectory, Kålltorp, Bohuslän on 24 September 1870. Her father was a vicar. She also studied piano with Richard Andersson in Stockholm, Knut Bäck in Gothenburg, Heinrich Barth in Berlin, and Robert Lortat in Paris. She published a collection of poems in 1895, Vid synranden, under the name Runar Alm, a pseudonym she continued to use until 1904. Almén also published children’s stories and articles. Almén died in Johanneberg, Gothenburg, in 1945. Musical work Almén’s compositions are in the late romantic style, and include two piano sonatas, a violin sonata, piano pieces and nine songs, as well as a concerto for piano and orchestra. Her piano sonata op. 2, violin sonata and a group of songs were performed in the Salle Pleyel in Paris on 8 June 1921, and at the Gothenburg Concert Hall on 20 January 1922. * So

Sam Rydberg

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Sam Hjalmar Rydberg (27 October 1885 – 25 March 1956) was a Swedish composer. Biography Sam Rydberg was born in Nyköping, Sweden, in 1885. He started as a military musician at age 13 as a drummer at the Södermanland Regiment. After that he became a part of the military band of the Svea Engineer Corps 1906-1935 and after 1928 as the head of the band. The instrument he played was soprano cornet. He composed many types of music but is most known for his marches. He is also the composer that has most marches that is official marches of regiments in the Swedish Armed Forces and is sometimes referred as the Swedish march king. List of marches * I flaggskrud (Norrbottens pansarbataljon) 1933 * Till Fronten (Karlsborgs luftvärnsregementes marsch) 1915 * Ikaros Marsch (Arméns fältarbetsskola) * På vakt (Svea ingenjörregemente) 1944? * På post för Sverige (Öresunds marindistrikt) 1944 * På marsch (Norra skånska (infanteri-)regementet / Södra militärområdet) 1944? * Under Fredsfanan (Försvarets internationella centrum) 1939 * Den Svenske Unterofficeren (Arméns kompaniofficersskola / Arméns tekniska centrum) 1916 * Vivu Esperanto! (Minvapnet) 1933 * I Beredskap (Älvsborgs kustartilleriregement

Simon Petrén

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Simon Petrén (born 14 March 1986) is a Swedish music producer, songwriter, mix engineer and mastering engineer. He holds a Diploma in Piano Music Performance at the Royal Schools of Music in London and a Bachelor degree in Film Scoring and Music Production at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm. Simon Petrén lives in Seoul, South Korea, consulting for different entertainment companies as songwriter/producer/mix&mastering engineer. Simon Petrén is the producer as well as mix/mastering engineer for the YouTube phenomena Dirty Loops. Their debut album was released by David Foster and Verve Records/Universal Music, USA/Japan (May 19, 2014). As of 2019 they are managed by Quincy Jones. Simon Petrén is credited with Arranging, Production, Mixing, Mastering as well as the video production of the 2016 version of “Over the Horizon”, the Samsung Galaxy brand sound, coming pre-loaded as mp3 & default ringtone on all of the Galaxy devices. Notable writing and production credits References External links

Simon Söfelde

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Simon Söfelde (born 23 November 1988 in Gothenburg) is a Swedish composer. and musician, active in both art music and popular music genres. Biography Söfelde pursued his studies in composition at the Gotland School of Music Composition and the Malmö Academy of Music, where he was mentored by composers such as Luca Francesconi, Bent Sørensen, Rolf Martinsson, and Hans Gefors. He furthered his education at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, studying under Detlev Müller-Siemens. Career Söfelde’s compositional work includes a diverse range of genres, from chamber music to film scores. His compositions have been performed internationally by orchestras and ensembles such as the Brussels Philharmonic, the Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble mise-en (US), CHROMA (UK), the Béla Quartet (FR), the Kreutzer Quartet and the Norrköping Symphony Orchestra. The Royal Swedish Academy of Music awarded him the Carin Malmlöf-Forsslings Composers Prize 2026, as well as the Christ Johnson Prize 2025 presented by His Majesty the King for the orchestral work Fugato. Additionally, he has a substantial background as an arranger, producer, and musical director, collaborating with artists l

Simon Viklund

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Simon Viklund (born Simon Wiklund, December 1, 1979) is a Swedish freelance video game composer, music producer, sound designer and game designer, who was first known for his work on the 2008 game Bionic Commando Rearmed, in which he was a creative director and composer. He is also known for his work on the Payday series as a composer and the voice of the character Bain. In 2000, Viklund joined his friend Ulf Andersson’s company, Grin, and worked on most of the company’s games, which included Bionic Commando: Rearmed. Grin went bankrupt in 2009, leading Viklund, Ulf Andersson and his brother Bo to found Overkill Software. Viklund left Overkill in 2015 to become a freelancer. In 2016, he joined 10 Chambers Collective, another company founded by Ulf Andersson, while continuing his freelance projects. Early life Simon Wiklund was born in Stockholm on December 1, 1979. He began learning music through the violin as a child, and later received classical piano lessons for about seven years. As a teenager he sang in the local church choir, and was briefly a singer in a band established by his friends in high school. None of his music was released at the time, because he was personally unsa

Stefan Nilsson (composer)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Stefan Nilsson (27 July 1955 – 25 May 2023) was a Swedish composer and pianist who wrote music for feature films and television shows, including Bille August’s Pelle the Conqueror and The Best Intentions, as well as Kay Pollak’s As It Is in Heaven. Born in Kukasjärvi, Hietaniemi, in the north of Sweden, Nilsson studied music at Framnäs folkhögskola outside of Piteå., where he developed an interest in jazz. At that time, he formed the progressive jazz group Kornet which also, among others, featured Örjan Fahlström, another prolific jazz musician, arranger and composer. The group existed until the late 1970s, and released three albums. Simultaneously, Nilsson continued to study music at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm 1975–1977. As a film composer, Nilsson wrote numerous scores for Swedish filmmakers such as Gösta Ekman, Hans Alfredson and Peter Dalle. To international audiences, he is best known for his music for the films of Bille August, for whom he scored Pelle the Conqueror (1987), The Best Intentions (1991), Jerusalem (1996) and A Song for Martin (2001). In Sweden, due to the success of the film in the domestic box office and the hit song he wrote for it to lyrics by Py

Stephan Berg

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Stephan Berg (born 11 February 1957) is a Swedish composer and songwriter. He was the writer of the Carola song Fångad av en stormvind, which won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1991. He also wrote and composed the song Bara hon älskar mig, performed by Blond, winning the 1997 Swedish Eurovision Song Contest preselction. Melodifestivalen entries References External links * Official website

Susanna Lindeborg

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Susanna Lindeborg (born April 18, 1952, in Halmstad) is a Swedish jazz pianist, flautist and composer, leader of the group Mwendo Dawa. She also was a member of female group the Jazz group Salamander. Career Susanna Lindeborg was born on April 18, 1952, in Halmstad Sweden. After taking classical piano lessons in the early 1970s, Lindeborg discovered jazz, which became an important source of inspiration for her. In 1974, she founded the quintet Mwendo Dawa with saxophonist Ove Johansson. With this group, for which she writes a large part of the repertoire, she went on many world tours and performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival, the North Sea Jazz Festival and the Montreal Jazz Festival. She performed in Europe, Asia, North and South America. By 2018, she had released 21 albums with Mwendo Dawa. In addition, Lindeborg toured extensively in the early 1980s with the all-female jazz band Salamander, with whom she performed in Europe and the USA. In 1989 she took part in the SWF’s New Jazz Meeting. In the same year she released her first solo album Susanna Lindeborg solo. In recent years she has also performed in the Lindeborg/Johansson Duo and then in the trio Natural Artefacts, with w

Svante Henryson

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Svante Henryson (born 22 October 1963) is a Swedish composer, cellist, bass guitarist and double bassist, active within jazz, classical music, and hard rock. Biography Childhood and studies Svante Henryson was born in Stockholm and grew up in Umeå in northern Sweden. His father was a Full Professor of Education, and his mother a Director of Studies in English at Umeå University. At age 12, after falling in love-at-a-distance with a female bassist at a concert, Svante began playing bass guitar in a rock band. Two years later, he switched to jazz and double bass. A concert with Stan Getz at the Umeå Jazz Festival made up his mind about becoming a musician. Another life-changing experience was hearing the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra in concert in Östersund. He left his hometown already at age 14 to study music; two years in Härnösand, three years at Ingesund College of Music and (later) one year at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. He was Principal Double Bass of the World Youth Orchestra 1983 to 1984. Early professional years Still in his teens and halfway through music college, he became a member of the Oslo Philharmonic under Mariss Jansons 1983–1986. After makin

Sven Arefeldt

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Sven Allan Amandus Arefeldt, born Forsberg (29 December 1908 – 17 August 1956), was a Swedish musician, singer and composer. Arefeldt was born in Stockholm, and spent parts of his youth in Lindesberg, Västmanland. He learned to play the violin at an early age, but soon switched to the piano. In 1924, at age 15, he formed the jazz orchestra TOGO (The Original Green Orchestra). From the late 1920s, Arefeldt played with several jazz orchestras in different music venues in Stockholm. He was one of Sweden’s most famous jazz musicians throughout the 1930s. In 1937, Arefeldt started working for the record label Sonora. Inspired by Fats Waller, he started recording more comedic material and novelty songs from the 1940s onwards. He also hosted a popular radio program, Sven Arefeldt leker på pianot (“Sven Arefeldt Plays With The Piano”). In the 1940s and 1950s, Arefeldt also wrote and arranged music to several films. Among Arefeldt’s popular recordings include “I en roddbåt till Kina”, “Hjärtats röst”, “Tre små sillar” and “Jag fick en kyss till god natt”. Arefeldt voiced the Cheshire Cat in the Swedish dub of the Disney film Alice in Wonderland (1951). Arefeldt died in Lindesberg, where he

Sven Scholander

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Sven Scholander (21 April 1860 – 14 December 1936) was a Swedish musician, singer, composer and sculptor. His musical innovations led to a revival in Swedish lute playing whilst his solo performances of Carl Michael Bellman reintroduced the works in their original form. Sculptor Born into a large and musical family, Scholander was the son of Fredrik Wilhelm Scholander, an architect whose avocations included painting, poetry and singing to his own guitar accompaniment. Businessman In addition to his artistic pursuits Scholander was a businessman, who opened a retail outlet for the Hasselblad Company in 1895, where he sold cameras and photographic equipment. He was also active in the publishing industry and in 1915 became the managing director of the AB Nordiska Musikförlaget. In fact, his concerts were often referred to as “Bellman evenings”. America Scholander’s younger brother Torkel Scholander (1871-1962) was likewise a singer and lute player. While touring the United States in 1911 he recorded twenty sides for Victor Records. Twelve years later the troubadour Gunnar Bohman (1882-1963) crossed the Atlantic and performed Bellman songs for Swedish-American audiences from coast to c

Sven-David Sandström

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Sven-David Sandström (30 October 1942 – 10 June 2019 ) was a Swedish classical composer of operas, oratorios, ballets, and choral works, as well as orchestral works. Life and career Sandström was born in Motala and studied art history and musicology at Stockholm University. He also studied musical composition at the Royal College of Music, Stockholm. He was a faculty member at the Royal College of Music, Stockholm, and Indiana University Bloomington’s Jacobs School of Music, where he taught for fifteen years. A number of his works were inspired by significant choral works by Bach and other composers, but reinterpreted in Sandström’s very personal style. These include a set of the six Bach cantata texts in Bach’s structure (double choir plus four-part chorale), a reinterpretation of the text of Handel’s Messiah commissioned and premiered by the Oregon Bach Festival in 2009 and also performed at the Rheingau Musik Festival that year, and works by Purcell. His work draws on ideas from modernist music, minimalist music, jazz, and popular music. Indeed, in Act II of Jeppe, the chorus sings the line “O Lord, Won’t You Buy Me a Mercedes-Benz” in harmony based on the original Janis Joplin

Sven-Eric Johanson

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Sven Eric Emanuel Johanson (10 December 1919 - 29 September 1997) was a Swedish composer and organist. Biography Sven-Eric Johanson was born to Hjalmar and Beda Johanson in Västervik in 1919. The parents were both officers in the Salvation Army, but in 1926 Hjalmar became a pastor in Missionsförbundet instead. He began his formal music studies in 1938 at the Ingesund College of Music and was accepted to the Royal College of Music, Stockholm in 1939. During his time as a student in Stockholm, Johanson studied composition with Melcher Melchers and organ with Otto Olsson and Alf Linder. In 1944 Johansson became the director of music at Uppsala Missionskyrka. In the 1940s Johanson studied Ernst Krenek’s book on the twelve-tone technique and employed it in his 1949 Sinfonia ostinata. In 1952 he became the organist at Hagens kapell (today Älvsborgs kyrka) in Gothenborg, a position he held until 1977. He was a founding member of The Monday Group. In 1971 he became a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. He is buried on the Stampen cemetery in Gothenburg. Works Johanson wrote twelve symphonies and several operas. He composed a number of concertos, some for unusual instruments like

Sven-Erik Bäck

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Sven-Erik Bäck (16 September 1919 – 10 January 1994) was a Swedish composer of classical music. He was born in Stockholm. Bäck studied from 1939 until 1943 in the King’s Music-Academy and from 1940 until 1945, was a composition student of Hilding Rosenberg. He travelled in 1951 to have further studies with Goffredo Petrassi in Rome. As of 1953 he was the leader of the chamber orchestra of the Swedish Radio Orchestra. He was also a member of string quartets - the Kyndel Quartet from 1940 to 1944 and the Barkel Quartet from 1944 to 1953. Bäck composed three operas, five works for ballet, many concertos, a number of works for chamber ensemble including at least four string quartets, an oratorio, cantatas, choral works, lieder and music for plays and film. He died in Stockholm in 1994. He was 74 Works for stage and opera * Tranfjädrarna (The Twilight Crane), Chamber Opera, 1956 * Gästabudet (The Banquet), Chamber Opera, 1956 * Fågeln (The Bird), Chamber Opera, 1960 Chamber music Chamber works other than piano solo works *String quartets (nos. 1 (1945), 2 (1947), 3 (1962), 4 (1984)) *String quintet Exercitier (1948) *Sonata for solo flute, 1949 *Sonata for two cellos, 1957 *Decet for wi

Thomas Åberg

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Thomas Åberg (born 1952, Stockholm) is a Swedish composer and organist known for performing his own music. He has spent his career based in Stockholm and is recognized for a distinctive approach that blends performance and composition. Career Åberg made his debut in 1978 with the organ work Daylight, premiered as part of the Skeppsholmen Group an experimental music collective active from 1978 to 1981. In the early 1980s, he began performing concerts focused mostly on his own works, following a model more typical of solo artists in popular music than traditional organists. In 1994, he was commissioned by the to perform six concerts during the Stockholm Water Festival. For over 30 years, Åberg worked as a music administrator at STIM, Sweden’s performing rights society, which gave him the freedom to develop a concert-focused musical path rather than a church based one. He has toured extensively in Sweden, performed internationally including in the United States and released a number of recordings across various formats. Background Åberg studied piano with Märta Söderberg, organ with Tore Nilson, and composition with Stig Gustav Schönberg. His early music was experimental and non-tonal

Thomas G:son

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Thomas Gustafsson (born 25 February 1968), known professionally as Thomas G:son ( ) is a Swedish composer and musician. He is best known for the 117 songs he has written for the national selections of 12 countries for the Eurovision Song Contest: 74 for Sweden, 16 for Spain, six for Norway, five for Denmark and Finland, three for Georgia, two each for Poland, Malta and Cyprus and one each for Latvia, Romania, Belgium, Lithuania, Luxembourg and Armenia. His songs have also reached Eurovision 16 times: four times for Sweden, three times each for Spain and Georgia, twice for Cyprus and once each for Norway, Denmark, Malta and Armenia. In 2012, G:son achieved his first victory as a winning composer at the Eurovision Song Contest with “Euphoria”, performed by Loreen. With the same artist in 2023, he won the contest for a second time. Gustafsson has been a full-time songwriter since 1998. In addition to writing and composing songs in various genres for a living, he is the guitarist of the hard rock band Masquerade. Songwriting discography Eurovision Song Contest Junior Eurovision National final entries Melodifestivalen entries (Sweden) *“Natten är min vän” by Cleo Nilsson (1999), 8th pla

Thomas Jennefelt

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Thomas Jennefelt is a Swedish composer born on April 24, 1954. His music has a strong vocal profile, from opera to choir music. Jennefelt is known as one of the most important choral composers of his generation starting with the success of his Warning to the Rich (1977) for solo baritone and mixed choir which has awarded him international acclaim. Other choral pieces include Dichterliebe (I-X) — a compendium of musical settings to Heine’s poems, famously musicalized by Schumann in his song cycle of the same title, and Villarosa sequences — a choral suite sung to an invented language based on Latin words. He has also written works for chamber and larger orchestras, and his music has been performed in Swedish halls as well as internationally. Among his operas The Jesters’ Hamlet and Sports&Leisure are to be mentioned. Biography He grew up in Huddinge, a municipality in Stockholm, and his education was based at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm where he studied composition with Gunnar Bucht and Arne Mellnas from 1974 to 1980. He was part of what they called the Swedish Choral Miracle in the 1960s, a choral revolution that started with conductor Eric Ericson. Jennefelt was part o

Tommie Haglund

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Tommie Haglund (born 15 January 1959) is a Swedish composer. He has composed chamber, choral, and orchestral music. His awards include the Christ Johnson Prize and H. M. The King’s Medal. Biography Early years Haglund became interested in music during a long hospital stay at the age of seven in his hometown of Kalmar. Three years later he began studying harmony and music theory at the municipal music school in Kalmar. At that time the influence of Mozart was strong. At the age of nineteen he moved to Halmstad, where he began studying music and composition with the guitar teacher Bo Strömberg. Through Strömberg, Haglund also discovered the composer John Dowland. Haglund was the subject of an extended interview volume published in 2022 as the Swedish-language book Ögonblickets oändlighet: Samtal med Tommie Haglund The Infinity of the Moment: Conversations with Tommie Haglund . An English-language edition, Listening to Eternity: The Music, Spirituality, and Creative World of Composer Tommie Haglund, was published in 2025. Recognition Haglund has received, among other things, the Great Christ Johnson Prize and the H. M. The King’s Medal. Work Symphonies * Symphony (2023, Gehrmans Musik

Tor Aulin

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Tor Aulin (10 September 1866 – 1 March 1914) was a Swedish violinist and a conductor and a composer. Biography Aulin studied music at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm (1877-1883) under and then in the Conservatory of Berlin (1884-1886) with Émile Sauret and Philipp Scharwenka. From 1889 to 1892 Aulin served as concertmaster of the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm. He went on to conduct the principal symphony orchestras of Stockholm and Gothenburg. In 1887 he formed the Aulin Quartet, the first full-time professional quartet in Sweden. It gained an excellent reputation. It disbanded in 1912. Along with Wilhelm Stenhammar, Aulin spearheaded a revival in interest in the work of Franz Berwald, and as soloist he premiered some of Stenhammar’s works for violin and orchestra. Aulin composed a number of orchestral and chamber music works, including a violin sonata, three violin concertos, an orchestral suite, and many small pieces for the violin. His sister, Laura Valborg Aulin, was a pianist and composer whose output included two string quartets, in F major and E minor, among other works. List of compositions With opus number *Violin Concerto Nº. 2, in A minor, Opus 11 (exists in t

Tore Johansson

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Tore Johansson (born 6 November 1959) is a Swedish record producer, composer and musician based in Malmö, Sweden. Biography In an interview with HitQuarters, Johansson claimed that the main impetus for his becoming a music producer was the lack of good recording studios in the Malmö area at that time in which to record his own band. Untutored in the art of recording, he acquired his skills through “trial and error”. His main inspiration at that time was classic recordings from the 1960s and ’70s, and in fact attempted to capture an old style in a conscious reaction against the production methods employed at that time, which he and his friends thought were bad. More recently, Johansson prefers to write for or co-write with solo artists. Production work Johansson has gained particular international recognition through his production work with The Cardigans and Franz Ferdinand, but has also worked with a number of other recording artists such as: *a-ha *A Camp *Anouk *Nicole Atkins & the Sea *Mathieu Boogaerts *Melanie C *Eggstone *Sophie Ellis-Bextor *Tomoyo Harada *Mayumi Iizuka – Smile×Smile *Tom Jones *Kira and The Kindred Spirits *David Kitt *The Little Flames *The Mighty Roars *

Tove Lo

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Ebba Tove Elsa Nilsson (; born 29 October 1987), known professionally as Tove Lo ( ; ), is a Swedish singer-songwriter. She is known for her raw, grunge-influenced take on pop music. Referring to her autobiographical lyrics, Out called Lo “the saddest girl in Sweden”, while Rolling Stone called her “Sweden’s darkest pop export”. Raised in the Djursholm district of Danderyd, Lo is an alumna of the music school Rytmus Musikergymnasiet. She formed the rock band Tremblebee in 2006. After it disbanded, Lo pursued a career in songwriting and earned a publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Music in 2011. Working with producers Alexander Kronlund, Max Martin, and Xenomania, she became a successful songwriter, while also recording and releasing her own compositions independently. In 2013, Lo was signed to Universal Music, Island and Polydor. The following year, Lo rose to prominence with her debut album, Queen of the Clouds, which opened at number 14 on the US Billboard 200 chart in October 2014. It spawned the sleeper hit single “Habits (Stay High)”, which peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100, as well as “Talking Body”. Her second album, Lady Wood, was released in October 2016

Ture Rangström

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Anders Johan Ture Rangström (30 November 1884 – 11 May 1947) belonged to a new generation of Swedish composers who, in the first decade of the 20th century, introduced modernism to their compositions. In addition to composing, Rangström was also a musical critic and conductor. Biography Rangström was born in Stockholm, where in his late teens he started to write songs. His music teacher suggested that he should “vary the harmonies a bit more, make it a bit wilder!” He followed this advice and soon gained the nickname among his colleagues of “Sturm-und-Drangström”. He travelled to Berlin where he studied under Hans Pfitzner for a while in 1905–6, and also studied singing with the Wagnerian Julius Hey, with whom he later went to Munich for further studies. He founded the Swedish Society of Composers in 1918, and he was employed to promote the works of the Royal Swedish Opera from 1931 to 1936. After this he worked freelance and spent the summers on the island of Törnsholmen which he had been given by the people of Sweden who raised the money to celebrate his fiftieth birthday. Ett midsommarstycke (A midsummer piece) and En höstsång (An autumn song). Following the success of these poe

Ulf Björlin

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Mats Ulf Stefan Björlin (21 May 1933 – 23 October 1993) was a Swedish composer and conductor. Bjorlin was known for being one of the most active opera composers in the 20th century. Biography Björlin was born in Stockholm in 1933. He studied music with conductor Igor Markevitch in Salzburg, Austria at age 19 and later continued his studies at the Conservatoire de Paris, with teacher Nadia Boulanger. After completing his military service, he worked at the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm and at the Malmö College of Music. From 1962, he was employed as musical producer at Sveriges Radio and wrote music for several movies and television productions, including the series of films and TV series about the children on the island Saltkråkan (Seacrow Island), based on Astrid Lindgren’s scripts. He also worked as music director for many years under Ingmar Bergman at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm. Bjorlin came to the United States in 1977. and the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra. and several operas in the years before his death. He was known to be the most active opera composer in the world in the 20th century. He is the father of actress Nadia Bjorlin, musicians Ulf Bjorlin Jr., and

Ulf Grahn

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Ulf Grahn (January 17, 1942 – January 25, 2023) was a Swedish composer born in Solna. He lived the majority of his life in the United States specifically in the Washington, D.C. area. Life and education Between 1962 and 1970, Grahn studied music primarily with Hans Eklund at the and subsequently at the Royal College of Music, Stockholm.He earned degrees at the Stockholm Institute of Music Pedagogy Ulf Åke Wilhelm Grahn died January 25, 2023 after a battle with large B cell CNS lymphoma. Career In 1974 Grahn and his wife, the pianist Barbro Dahlman, founded the Contemporary Music Forum, which presents performances of works by living European and American composers, and he was its program director until 1984. Since 1985, he has operated the music publisher Edition NGLANI. In 1988–89, he was artistic and managing director of the Lake Siljan Music Festival in Sweden. and the 1983 Sonata for Violin and Piano commissioned by the Library of Congress. His music is modern but accessible to a general audience. and reviews in the Washington Post have described his Through the Passage of Time for recorder (also 1982) as “clever and acrobatic”, his 1988 Celebration for solo marimba as “intricat

Valborg Aulin

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Laura Valborg Aulin (9 January 1860 – 13 March 1928) was a Swedish pianist and composer. Aulin’s String Quartet in E minor, Op. 17 and String Quartet in F minor are the most important Swedish music compositions in that genre from the 1880s. Her mother, Edla Aulin had hoped for a career as a singer, but bad health had stopped her career. Aulin’s father was a classics scholar, holding a doctorate in Greek, on the poet Callimachus. He also held a position at a Stockholm secondary school, where he taught classical languages. As a teacher, she supplemented her income by teaching piano, counterpoint, composition and harmony. Mixed choir a cappella * Three songs for mixed choir a cappella opus 5 * Two choirs a cappella for mixed voices opus 24 Mixed choir and instruments * Christmas song for mixed choir and organ accompaniment opus 23 Mixed choir and orchestra * Pie Jesu Domine, Missa sollemnis opus 13 * Veni sanctu spiritus sic , hymn (Veni sancte spiritus) opus 32 Mixed choir with solo voice(s) and orchestra * Herr Olof (‘På ängen under det mörka fjället’, Carl David af Wirsén), ballad for tenor solo, choir and orchestra op. 3, 1880 * Procul este (‘Gå stum, ja stum’, Carl David af Wirsé

Víctor Varela

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Víctor Varela (born 1955) is a Venezuelan-Swedish composer based in Gothenburg. His compositions include works for orchestra, vocal and instrumental chamber music, with electronics and computer devices. Education Varela was born in Caracas where he studied musical composition, electronic music and piano at the National Conservatory of Music Juan José Landaeta, obtaining a degree in composition in 1987. Afterwards, he studied composition at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam (Composition Prize in 1993) and electronic music at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague. Among his teachers are Antonio Mastrogiovanni, Eduardo Kusnir, Geert van Keulen, Ton de Leeuw, Louis Andriessen, Theo Loevendie, John Coolidge Adams and Trevor Wishart. Career Varela’s music has been performed at festivals and events in major cities worldwide, including festivals like ISCM World Music Days, San Juan’s Biennial of Contemporary Music, Caracas Latin American Music Festival, Inter American Music and Dance Festival, Green Umbrella Series, Stockholm New Music, and Gothenburg Art Sounds. In Venezuela he received the National Composition Award and the Caracas City Municipal Award. In 1996 his Second String Quartet was

Victoria Borisova-Ollas

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Victoria Borisova-Ollas (born 21 December 1969) is a Russian-Swedish composer who first received international recognition for her symphonic poem Wings of the Wind which won second prize in the 1998 Masterprize International Composition Competition in the UK. She was born in Vladivostok, and studied with Nikolai Korndorf at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow and continued her studies in composition at the Academy of Music in Stockholm and Malmö Music College. In 1997, she studied composition with Jeremy Dale Roberts at the Royal College of Music in London. She has composed two symphonies, Symphony No. 1 “The Triumph of Heaven” and Symphony No. 2 “Labyrinths of Time”. Her opera The Ground Beneath Her Feet, with a libretto written by Edward Kemp, is an adaptation of the novel of that name by Salman Rushdie. The premiere at Bridgewater Hall during the 2007 Manchester International Festival was narrated by Alan Rickman, conducted by Mark Elder, and featured a film component by Mike Figgis. Since 2008 she has been a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. Prizes and awards * 1997 - Royal Swedish Academy of Music scholarship to study at the Royal College of Music in London * 19

Viking Dahl

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Viking Dahl (8 October 1895 – 5 January 1945) was a Swedish composer, active also as a painter and an author. Biography Frode Viking Samson Dahl was born in Osby in Scania, Sweden. He was the son of Samuel Dahl (1847-1932) and Katarina Lovisa Peterson (1859-1931). He was the grandson of Swedish priest Gustav Leonard Dahl (1801-1877). His elder brother was Swedish-American Lutheran pastor and author K. G. William Dahl (1883-1917). His cousin was Swedish architect Frans Gustaf Abraham Dahl (1835-1927). Dahl studied at the Royal College of Music 1915-1919 in Stockholm and thereafter in Copenhagen and Berlin. During a stay in Paris 1920, he wrote the dance drama Maison de Fous for Ballets Suédois. He developed his own avant-gardism during his studies in Stockholm, and in Paris he met the radical French composers of the time, among them Darius Milhaud and Maurice Ravel. When he returned to Sweden, Dahl worked as a piano and music teacher. He was also an organist and choir director at Varberg in Halland where he lived until his death. References External links Free scores * Miscellaneous *Viking Dahl, biography (in Swedish) *Viking Dahl and the Piano, by Olof Höjer (in Swedish)

Viktor Widqvist

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Viktor Widkvist (1881–1952) was a Swedish military musician and composer. Career He was born Viktor Magnus Widkvist in Stockholm in the Jakob och Johannes parish on 27 December 1881. Viktor was the son of Johan Viktor Widkvist, a piano maker and tuner for Bergquist & Nilssons Pianofabrik and mother Albertina Dalqvist. As a child he learned to play the violin and the tuba. In 1898 at the age of seventeen Viktor began his military career by enlisting in the Svea Engineer Battalion (Ing 1) band in Stockholm performing on the tuba and flute under music director Adolf Johnsson. He began his study at the Stockholms Musikkonservatorium in 1901 graduating in 1908. His professors included Magnus Ahlbergm (violin) and Ernst Henrik Ellberg (counterpoint). He also studied violin with Sven Kjellström after the violinist’s return to Sweden from Paris in 1909. He was promoted to music sergeant in 1903. Between 1910-1918 while serving in military bands he was also concertmaster in several Stockholm orchestras. He served as bandmaster of the Boden Engineer Regiment (Ing 3) (Third Engineer Regiment) band in Boden from 1918 and the Göta Engineer Regiment (Ing 2) (Second Engineer Regiment) in Karlsbor

Vincenzo Albrici

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Vincenzo Albrici (26 June 1631 in Rome – 7 September 1687 in Prague) was an Italian composer, brother of Bartolomeo and nephew of Fabio and Alessandro Costantini. Albrici was born as the son of singer who settled from Marche in Rome. In 1641 he became a student at the Collegium Germanicum et Hungaricum under Giacomo Carissimi. In 1647 he was paid as an organist in the Santa Maria in Vallicella. Albrici was one of several musicians and composers residing in the court of Christina of Sweden in the first half of the seventeenth century and arrived to the court of Charles II of England in the 1660s. Then Albrici became joint vice-kapellmeister with Giovanni Andrea Bontempi under Heinrich Schütz in Dresden (1659). Vincenzo’s brother Bartolomeo Albrici, took up the position of organist. Vincenzo and his sister Leonora, also a singer, went to England and became part of the King’s Italian Musicke. Bartolomeo joined them in 1666 and remained in England when Vincenzo returned to Dresden. In 1681 he gained the post of organist at the Thomaskirche, a position which required conversion to Protestantism. A few months later, he moved to the Augustine church of St. Thomas, in Mala Strana, Prague f

Werner Wolf Glaser

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Werner Wolf Glaser (14 April 1910 – 29 March 2006, in Västerås, Sweden) was a German-born Swedish composer, conductor, pianist, professor, music critic, and poet. Life Born in Cologne, Glaser studied piano, conducting, and composition at the Cologne Conservatory, and art history afterwards in Bonn. He finally continued his studies in composition with Paul Hindemith in Berlin, where he also took courses in psychology. From 1929 to 1931, he worked as a conductor at the Chemnitz Opera and went to Cologne in 1932 to conduct choirs. Persecuted by the Nazis due to his Jewish descent, he fled Germany for Paris in 1933. He subsequently moved to Lyngby, Denmark and lectured at the Frederiksbergs Folkemusikhojskole in Copenhagen. In 1939, he opened a School of Music in Lyngbby with composer Irene Skovgaard. Glaser collaborated with Skovgaard and her brother Hjalte Skovgaard on several publications. He escaped during the rescue of the Danish Jews to Sweden in 1943. In Sweden, he conducted the Södra Västmanlands Orkesterförbund from 1944 to 1959 and also directed the Västerås Musikskola, where his colleagues included Ivar Andrén and Gunnar Axén, until 1975. He also wrote music reviews and poem

Wilhelm Peterson-Berger

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Olof Wilhelm Peterson-Berger ( 27 February 1867 – 3 December 1942) was a Swedish composer and music critic. As a composer, his main musical influences were Grieg, August Söderman and Wagner as well as Swedish folk idiom. The composer Peterson-Berger was born in Ullånger. He studied at the Stockholm Conservatory from 1886 to 1889 and then in Dresden for a year. He is best known for three albums of national romantic piano pieces entitled Frösöblomster I, II and III (Flowers of Frösö), which include the often performed Vid Frösö kyrka (At Frösö Church) and Sommarsång (Summer Song). The sets, which were composed over a period of 18 years (1896–1914) and brought together afterwards as a collection have gained a reputation of representing a quintessential “Swedishness” in the romantic, nationalistic vein of their time. The most famous of the pieces, Sommarsång (Summer Song) recalls the warm, calm, harmonious and bright pre-summer evenings where the sun in the north almost never goes down; they were the great breakthrough for Wilhelm. Sommarsång is still known to most Swedes, even to people generally uninterested in music: the majority of young piano students in the Nordic countries have

Wilhelm Stenhammar

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Carl Wilhelm Eugen Stenhammar (February 7, 1871 – November 20, 1927) was a Swedish composer, conductor and pianist. He is considered to be one of Sweden’s most important composers at the turn of the 20th century, and one of the finest Swedish pianists of his time, with a reputation as a fine interpreter of the piano music of Beethoven. Biography Wilhelm Stenhammar was born in Stockholm to and . His older brother was the architect Ernst Stenhammar. He demonstrated a talent for music at an early age, both as pianist and composer, writing piano sonatas and songs during his teenage years. The resultant critical acclaim led to invitations for concert performances in Denmark, England and Germany, effectively launching Stenhammar’s career as an internationally renowned concert pianist. He subsequently recorded five piano rolls for Welte-Mignon on 21 September 1905. As a composer, Stenhammar was initially influenced by German and Austrian music, especially that of Richard Wagner and Anton Bruckner. Stenhammar himself described the style of his First Symphony in F major as “idyllic Bruckner”. He subsequently sought to liberate himself from this influence, with the goal of writing in a more

Ylva Arkvik

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Ylva Q Arkvik (born 1961) is a prominent composer of contemporary classical music. She has written about 50 works for varying settings such as chamber ensemble, orchestra, choir, opera, theatre and electroacoustic music. Her works have been performed by Swedish ensembles and orchestras such as the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Kroumata, the Stockholm Saxophone Quartet and Musica Vitae. Biography Arkvik was born in Sweden. She studied musicology at Uppsala University and also studied to become a cantor at Uppsala Domkapitel and at the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. After graduating as a cantor she went on to study composition at the Royal College of Music, Stockholm for renowned composers Lars Ekström, Magnus Lindberg, Per Lindgren, Lars-Erik Rosell and Sven-David Sandström. In 2000 she earned her diploma in composition. In 2001 she was elected to the Society of Swedish Composers. Between 2011-2014 she was in the board of directors of the Association of Swedish Women Composers (KVAST) and during 2014 she was elected Chairman. Since 2010 she is in the board of directors of the International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM). Her mu

Yngve Sköld

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Karl Yngve Sköld (; 29 April 1899 – 6 December 1992) was a Swedish composer, pianist and organist. As well as writing orchestral, solo and chamber music and giving public concerts, he also worked for the Swedish Film industry. Life He was born in Vallby, Södermanland County, Sweden. His father, a cantor and college teacher, died when Yngve was ten years old. He studied piano with Richard Andersson and attended the Royal College of Music, Stockholm from 1915 to 1918 where he learnt composition and counterpoint with Harald Fryklöf. During his teens, his musical talent both as composer and pianist became apparent; his 1916 piano trio, first symphony (opus 3, 1915) and first piano concerto (opus 7, 1917) were among a number of works composed in this period. He passed the organists’ examination in 1919. He then studied abroad from 1920 to 1922, first at the Brno Conservatory, where he won first prize in a piano competition for his performance of Beethoven’s fifth piano concerto, and then at the Prague Conservatory’s Meisterschule, where he performed his Concert Fantasy for piano and orchestra (opus 21, composed in 1921). In 1933, after returning to Stockholm, he passed the advanced exam