Wilhelm Stenhammar (1871–1927) was one of the most important composers and personalities in Swedish music around 1900. After making a spectacular breakthrough in Stockholm in 1894 with his Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 1, he gained a reputation in particular as a chamber music pianist and song accompanist. Among his most significant works are six string quartets, two symphonies, songs with piano and orchestra, and large-scale choral works. After he was appointed principal conductor of the newly formed Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra in 1907, he became a force to be reckoned with in this capacity as well. Between 1907 and 1922, by means of his intensive rehearsal work and innovative repertoire, he turned the orchestra into one of the finest in Scandinavia. Stenhammar’s musical thinking was characterized by a broad range of interests and his compositions exhibited great seriousness of purpose, which often went hand-in-hand with rigorous self-criticism. He maintained regular contacts with composers such as Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius, and gave the Scandinavian premières of many contemporary works. Moreover, concert tours as a soloist and chamber pianist introduced him to a wider international public.
