Born in Stockholm on 16th September 1919, died on 10th January 1994. He studied the violin (1938 1943) with Charles Barkel and composition (1940-1945) with Hilding Rosenberg, before further studies at Schola Cantorum, Basel, with Ina Lohr (1948) and August Wenzinger (1950). He then went on to study composition with Goffredo Petrassi in Rome (1951-1952). He was a member of the Kyndel Quartet (1940-1944) and the Barkel Quartet (1944-1953), as well as leader of “Chamber Orchestra -53“. He was Director of Studies at the Edsberg Institute of Music between 1958 and 1992, and he became a Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music in 1961.
Contemplation, an introverted, ethereal atmosphere and an intensively extrovert temperament are the hall marks of Sven-Erik Bäck’s music. He employed numerous media and styles. His inspiration oscillated between historical examples and, on the other hand, the spirit of our own age and the successive advances of the new music.
His compositions are marked by the relationship between a distinct, integral sense of form and bursts of impulsive energy. The art of elaborating melodic lines is an unmistakable component both of his chamber music (note the early but still significant string quintet Exercitier) and his orchestral music. The unique quality of his art is this very tension between clear, indeed self-assured musicality and the dramatic, highly expressive impact of his creative personality. H GP