Born in Hjältevad, Tranås on 5th September 1909, died 9th April 1991. He studied at the Stockholm Conservatory 1927-1932. A Jenny Lind Fellowship enabled him to continue his studies abroad, viz. conducting with Felix Weingartner, and piano in Vienna (Sauer) and Paris (Philipp). He conducted the Gothenburg Radio Orchestra and Orchestra Association 1937-1969. International tours, several performances of works by other Swedish composers. Distinctions include the Working Scholarship of the Swedish Academy of Music, 1971
Eckerberg began composing at a relatively advanced age after commencing a successful career as conductor and pianist. He composed a great deal of orchestral music and other works on the grand scale, e.g. three symphonies (1941, 1943-1945, 1966) and the same number of concertos for piano and orchestra. One of his best-known works is Sommarmusik in four movements. Eckerberg’s style is expressive and can even be termed austere, with a great deal of contrapuntal technique. He was also interested in the colouring of sound, however, and was influenced, partly in an impressionist direction, by French music. Poetry was sometimes a source of inspiration to him, and poets whose work he set to music include Lars Forssell (Trilogi for voice, flute and percussion 1969). Karlfeldt inspired him with the orchestral piece Sub Luna. To the Swedish piano repertoire he has added a suite, Hommage ā Frederic Chopin (1966). H-G P