Born on 15th May 1908 in Åkarp, died on December 27th 1986 in Helsingborg. After taking the organist examination in 1924, he studied composition with Ernst Ellberg at the Stockholm Conservatory between 1925 and 1929. He continued his studies with Alban Berg in Vienna the following year, and thereafter, 1930-1931, with Fritz Reuter in Leipzig. He was chorus master at the Royal Opera in Stockholm the same year, and between 1933 and 1937 he worked as music critic for Lunds Dagblad. He was a frequent conductor at Swedish Radio 1937-1954. Between 1947 and 1959 he was professor of composition at the State Academy of Music in Stockholm and was later (1961) appointed Director Musices at the University of Uppsala, where he worked until 1965.
The lyricist and writer of melodies, creator of works such as Förklädd gud (A God in Disguise) and the Pastoral Suite; the neo-classicist who wrote the well-known Concertino series with its twelve compositions for solo instrument and orchestra; the steadfast artist who nurtured the classical tradition and imparted his belief in precision and expressive restraint to many of his pupils — Lars-Erik Larsson’s significance can be described in many ways. His musical style includes clear forms, bright harmonies and a transparent part-writing. His use of stringent counterpoint and austere orchestration has led to a group of important, serious works such as the Music for Orchestra, Missa brevis and the Variations for Orchestra where he demonstrates his personal way of using some of the technical conquests of this century, such as the dodecaphonic method. SJ