Nordic women composers

On International Women's Day (March 2018) I was listening to the selections by women composers being played on Radio 3 and it suddenly occurred to me that though I considered myself a fan of Nordic classical music, all the music I knew was by male composers: I couldn't think of a single Nordic woman classical composer. Well, I can now!  I've been updating this list (originally part of another post) for a couple of years and it's time to post it separately.

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Laura Netzel (1839 - 1927), born in Finland in an aristocratic family, brought up in Stockholm. Accomplished amateur pianist, began composing around the age of 35. Used the pseudonym "N. Lago".  This is the opening movement of her Piano Trio (Op. 78), as performed by Trio Lago, a Helsinki-based trio formed in 2019 who seem to specialize in the composers named in this post.

 

Ingeborg Bronsart von Schellendorf (1840 - 1913). Finnish-German concert pianist and composer, born in St Petersburg.

Agathe Grøndahl, Norwegian pianist and composer (1847 - 1907), born at Holmestrand, 70km SSW of Oslo. Grieg admired her greatly and they often worked together. Became deaf in 1890 but continued to compose.

Elfrida Andrée, born in Visby (1849 - 1929). Prolific composer of songs, piano music, chamber music.... [Her 1898 opera Fritiofs saga, with libretto by Selma Lagerlöf, received its first complete concert performance in March 2019 (as part of the International Women's Day celebrations for the year after this post was first put together.]





Helena Munktell  (1852 - 1919), born in Grycksbo (Dalarna).

Amanda Maier-Röntgen

Amanda Maier-Röntgen (aka Röntgen-Maier), born in Landskrona (Skåne) in 1853. Studied in Leipzig under Carl Reinecke and wrote her excellent B minor Sonata for violin and piano in 1874, at the age of 21. Married the German-Dutch composer Julius Röntgen. The couple settled in Amsterdam and were friends with Grieg. (Other salon attendees included Rubinstein, Joachim, and Brahms.) Died in 1894 aged only 41.

Emmy Köhler (1858 - 1925). A teacher at the heart of Stockholm cultural life; friend to Tor Aulin and Hugo Alfvén; her husband was a finance minister. Mainly composed hymns and children's songs; most famously, the beloved Christmas song Nu tändas tusen juleljus. 

Agnes Tschetschulin (1859 - 1942). Finnish violinist and composer.

Ida Moberg (1859 - 1947), Finnish composer and conductor. Her long-forgotten violin concerto is on YouTube, performed by Mirka Malmi with the Wegelius kammarstråkar (conductor: Emilia Hoving), and it's very enjoyable: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHN86ab1AcE .

Valborg Aulin (1860 - 1928), composer of piano and chamber music. Born in Gävle, but it seems the family had already moved to Stockholm by the time her younger brother, the composer Tor Aulin, was born.  (See also: https://michaelpeverett.blogspot.com/2023/03/the-aulins.html .) This is her stunning Grande sonate sérieuse (Op 14), in a performance by Lucy Negro, who re-recorded it for the 2017 Daphne CD Revived Piano Treasures: music by Valborg Aulin and Laura Netzel.

Alice Tegnér  (1864 - 1943), born in Karlshamn (Blekinge). Poet and composer, still well-known for her children's songs, including Mors lilla Olle, and the carol Betlehems stjärna (Gläns över sjö och strand); here's my own rendition:

michaelpeverett · Betlehems stjärna (Gläns över sjö och strand)

 
Signe Lund (1868 - 1950), born and died in Oslo, but emigrated to North Dakota in 1900. Composer and music teacher. Also known as Signe Lund-Skabo. She became a campaigner for socialist causes (losing her teaching post as a result). She published her autobiography in 1944.

Ruth Sofia Almén (1870 - 1945), Swedish composer and pianist. Born in Solberga (Bohuslän), taught music in Gothenburg. 

Nancy Dalberg (1881 - 1949), Danish composer, born on the island of Funen.

Pauline Hall (1890 - 1969). Norwegian composer and music critic, born in Hamar in Hedmark (120km north of Oslo). Influenced by French Impressionism, translated and arranged performances of Stravinsky's Soldier's Tale and Brecht/Weill's Threepenny Opera.

Benna Moe (1897 - 1983). Danish composer and organist. 

Helvi Leiviskä (1902 - 1982). Born in Helsinki. Composer and music educator, librarian at the Sibelius Academy: she composed e.g. three symphonies, a piano concerto, chamber music. Her orchestral piece "The Coming of Spring" sometimes shows up on Radio 3.

Jórunn Viðar (1918 - 2017). Icelandic composer and pianist.

Birgitte Alsted (1942 -). Danish composer and violinist, born in Odense. 

Kaija Saariaho (1952 - 2023). Born in Helsinki. Celebrated contemporary composer (e.g. her opera Amour de loin was performed at the Met).

Cecilie Ore (1954 -). Born in Oslo. Composer of electronic-acoustic, instrumental, vocal and text-based socio-critical works. 

Cecilia Franke (1955 -). Born in Malmö. Formerly a dentist, composer of instrumental music, often sacred music. 

This piece is Luxta (2001), performed by Duo Gelland, who have aroused a lot of interest in the violin duo form. (Between 2002 and 2011 they were artists in residence in Strömsund municipality, Jämtland.)

 

Victoria Borisova-Ollas (1969 -). Russian-born composer (Vladivostok), a Swedish resident for many years. First became known for her short symphonic poem Wings of the Wind, she has written operas, orchestral works including two symphonies, a violin concerto, cello concerto, chamber and piano works. 

Kristina Forsman (1970 -). Swedish composer, born in Umeå. I don't know much about her but I read this snippet: "She takes inspiration from many different fields and, for example, her interest in rhthym can be heard in her orchestral work Ninata. But it is her work with the details in the sound, the twang, which is the most salience in her music."

Maja Ratkje (1973 -), Norwegian composer (also vocalist) in experimental mode, much admired internationally.



Anna Þorvaldsdóttir [Thorvaldsdottir] (1977 -), Icelandic composer. Her music, influenced by landscape and nature, is widely performed in Europe and the USA. 

This is Hrím (Frost), a brooding seven minutes of glittering details, performed in 2010 by the UCSD New Music Ensemble, conducted by Rand Steiger: 



María Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir (1980 -), Icelandic composer. She is a member of the band Amiina, formed in 2004.

Thurídur Jónsdóttir, Icelandic composer.

Andrea Tarrodi (1981 - ), born in Stockholm to a musical family. Her mother is the bassoonist Julianna Tarrodi-Lindberg, her father the trombonist Christian Lindberg, her uncle the lutenist Jakob Lindberg. I hear Tarrodi's music pretty often on Radio 3.

Kristine Tjøgersen (1982 -). Norwegian clarinettist and experimental composer, born in Oslo. 

Hildur Guðnadóttir (1982 -). Icelandic cellist and composer, including for films and games, born in Reykjavik. 

Lisa Streich (1985 -), Swedish experimental composer, born in Norra Råda (Uppland) and lives in Gotland.

Veronique Vaka (1986 -), Icelandic composer.

Bára Gísladóttir (1989 -), Icelandic composer and double-bassist.