COMPOSERS from Sweden

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Swedish Composers of all time. This list of famous Swedish Composers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Swedish Composers.

1. Dieterich Buxtehude (1637 - 1707)

With an HPI of 72.21, Dieterich Buxtehude is the most famous Swedish Composer.  His biography has been translated into 60 different languages on wikipedia.

Dieterich Buxtehude (German: [ˈdiːtəʁɪç bʊkstəˈhuːdə]; born Diderich Hansen Buxtehude, Danish: [ˈtiðˀəʁek ˈhænˀsn̩ pukstəˈhuːðə]; c. 1637 – 9 May 1707) was a Danish composer and organist of the Baroque period, whose works are typical of the North German organ school. As a composer who worked in various vocal and instrumental idioms, Buxtehude's style greatly influenced other composers, such as Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel. Buxtehude is considered one of the most important composers of the 17th century.

2. Hugo Alfvén (1872 - 1960)

With an HPI of 60.60, Hugo Alfvén is the 2nd most famous Swedish Composer.  His biography has been translated into 32 different languages.

Hugo Emil Alfvén (Swedish: [alˈveːn] ; 1 May 1872 – 8 May 1960) was a Swedish composer, conductor, violinist, and painter. Alfvén was one of Sweden's principal composers. His "Swedish Rhapsody”, 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.

3. Princess Cecilia of Sweden (1807 - 1844)

With an HPI of 56.65, Princess Cecilia of Sweden is the 3rd most famous Swedish Composer.  Her biography has been translated into 25 different languages.

Cecilia of Sweden (22 June 1807 in Stockholm – 27 January 1844 in Oldenburg) 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.

4. Wilhelm Stenhammar (1871 - 1927)

With an HPI of 55.82, Wilhelm Stenhammar is the 4th most famous Swedish Composer.  His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Carl Wilhelm Eugen Stenhammar (February 7, 1871 – November 20, 1927) was a Swedish composer, conductor and pianist.

5. Kurt Atterberg (1887 - 1974)

With an HPI of 55.24, Kurt Atterberg is the 5th most famous Swedish Composer.  His biography has been translated into 23 different languages.

Kurt Magnus Atterberg (Swedish: [²atːɛrbærj], 12 December 1887 – 15 February 1974) was a Swedish composer and engineer. He is best known for his symphonies, operas, and ballets.

6. Johan Helmich Roman (1694 - 1758)

With an HPI of 53.73, Johan Helmich Roman is the 6th most famous Swedish Composer.  His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Johan Helmich Roman (26 October 1694 – 20 November 1758) was a Swedish Baroque composer. He has been called "the father of Swedish music" or "the Swedish Handel." He was the leader of the Swedish Royal Orchestra during the first decades of Sweden's Age of Liberty.

7. Allan Pettersson (1911 - 1980)

With an HPI of 52.19, Allan Pettersson is the 7th most famous Swedish Composer.  His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

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.: 3  His music can hardly be confused with other 20th-century works. 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.: 7  The conductors Antal Doráti and Sergiu Comissiona premiered and recorded several of his symphonies. Pettersson's song cycle Barefoot Songs influenced many of his compositions. Doráti arranged eight of the Barefoot Songs. Birgit Cullberg produced three ballets based on Pettersson's music. Pettersson studied at the Royal Swedish Academy of Music's conservatory. For more than a decade, he was a violist in the Stockholm Concert Society; after retiring he devoted himself exclusively to composition. Later in his life, he experienced rheumatoid arthritis. Pettersson was awarded the Swedish royal medal Litteris et Artibus.

8. Wilhelm Peterson-Berger (1867 - 1942)

With an HPI of 51.90, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger is the 8th most famous Swedish Composer.  His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

Olof Wilhelm Peterson-Berger ( 27 February 1867, Ullånger — 3 December 1942, Östersund) 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.

9. Lars-Erik Larsson (1908 - 1986)

With an HPI of 50.89, Lars-Erik Larsson is the 9th most famous Swedish Composer.  Her biography has been translated into 17 different languages.

Lars-Erik Vilner Larsson (15 May 1908 – 27 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 (En vintersaga; 1937–1938), the Pastoral Suite (Pastoralsvit; 1938), and God in Disguise (Förklädd gud; 1940). Other notable works by Larsson include three symphonies, a sinfonietta, and numerous concertante works.

10. Ludvig Norman (1831 - 1885)

With an HPI of 49.95, Ludvig Norman is the 10th most famous Swedish Composer.  His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Ludvig Norman (28 August 1831 – 28 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 Ludwig Norman Neruda 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's octet for strings. His pupils included Elfrida Andrée. Ludvig Norman died in 1885 in Stockholm.