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.