Wilhelm Stenhammar

Wilhelm Eugen Stenhammar (1871-1927) was a Swedish composer, pianist and conductor. His initial education took place in Stockholm, but he later went to Berlin to further his studies. In his early days he was a glowing admirer of Germanic music, particularily that of Richard Wagner and Anton Bruckner, but he later sought to emancipate himself and write in a more "Nordic" style, looking to Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius for guidance. The latter's Symphony No. 2, especially, had a great effect on him.

From 1906 to 1922 he was Artistic Director and chief conductor of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, the first full-time professional orchestra in Sweden. In this capacity, he organized many a performance of music by contemporary Scandinavian composers.

His works include two symphonies (the first of which he later rejected), two piano concerti, four piano sonatas and six string quartets.

See also: List of Swedes in music, List of classical music composers