The Royal College of Music, Stockholm () is the oldest institution of higher education in music in Sweden, founded in 1771 as the conservatory of the

Royal Swedish Academy of Music The Royal Swedish Academy of Music (), founded in 1771 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in ...

. The institution was made independent of the Academy in 1971, and is now a public authority directly under the Ministry of Education and Research. Vice-chancellor from June 2019 is Helena Wessman, former general manager of Berwaldhallen.

Notable alumni

Composers

Hugo Alfvén Hugo Emil Alfvén (; 1 May 18728 May 1960) was a Swedish composer, conductor, violinist, and painter. Alfvén was one of Sweden's principal composers. His "Swedish Rhapsody”, written when he was 31, is still one of the best-known pieces of Sw ...

* Anton Jörgen Andersen *

Bror Beckman Bror Beckman (2 February 1866 – 22 July 1929) was a Swedish composer, treasurer to the Royal Swedish Academy of Music and principal of the Royal College of Music, Stockholm, Royal College of Music. Stylistically he was strongly influenced by Carl ...

Natanael Berg Carl Natanael Rexroth-Berg (9 February 1879 – 14 October 1957) was a Swedish composer. Berg was born and died in Stockholm. He trained in veterinary medicine and began learning music by teaching himself. He later studied at the Stockholm C ...

* Viking Dahl (also a notable painter and author) *

Hans Eklund Hans Patrik Eklund (born 16 April 1969) is a Swedish football manager, and former football player. In his active career, Eklund played seven games for the Sweden men's national football team and was the 1992 Allsvenskan top scorer. Club car ...

Gunnar de Frumerie Per Gunnar Fredrik de Frumerie (20 July 1908 – 9 September 1987) was a Swedish composer and pianist. He was the son of architect Gustaf de Frumerie and Maria Helleday. De Frumerie was born in Nacka, Stockholm County in 1908. After studying pi ...

(also a notable pianist) *

Harald Fryklöf Harald Leonard Fryklöf (14 September 188211 March 1919) was a Swedish composer, music teacher, and member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. The music he wrote was in a Late Romantic style. At the time of his early death, he was considered ...

Ludwig Göransson Ludwig Emil Tomas Göransson (; ; born 1 September 1984) is a Swedish musician, composer, conductor, songwriter, and record producer. For his work in music, film and television, he has won several accolades including two Academy Awards, a Britis ...

Anders Hillborg Per Anders Hillborg (born 31 May 1954) is one of Sweden’s leading composers. Education Anders Hillborg was born in Sollentuna, and studied composition, counterpoint and electronic music at the Kungliga Musikhögskolan in Stockholm from 1976 t ...

* Jacob Adolf Hägg * Hannah Holgersson *

Lars-Erik Larsson Lars-Erik Vilner Larsson (15 May 190827 December 1986) was a Swedish composer, conductor, radio producer, and educator. He wrote three of the most popular works (each a suite) in Swedish art music: ''A Winter's Tale'' (; 1937–1938), the '' P ...

* Ruben Liljefors (also a notable conductor) *

Nils Lindberg Nils Lindberg (11 June 1933 – 20 February 2022) was a Swedish composer and pianist. Biography Lindberg was born in Uppsala on 11 June 1933. He was known both as a jazz composer and musician, but was also active in other styles. Several of his wo ...

(also a notable pianist) *

Pär Lindgren Pär Lindgren (born 16 January 1952 in Gothenburg) is a Swedish composer and composition teacher, cited as one of Sweden's leading composers of electroacoustic music, and one of the most important Swedish composers of orchestral music of his gener ...

* Edward McGuire (studied with composer Ingvar Lidholm 1971) *

Erland von Koch Sigurd Christian Jag Erland Vogt von Koch (26 April 1910 – 31 January 2009) was a Swedish composer. He wrote symphonies, ballets, an opera, and other compositions, including music for film. Life and career Born in Stockholm as the son of compo ...

Otto Olsson Otto Emanuel Olsson (19 December 1879 – 1 September 1964) was a Swedish organist and classical music composer. Life and career Olsson, a native of Stockholm, was one of the most renowned organ virtuosos of his time. He studied organ with Augu ...

Karin Rehnqvist Karin Rehnqvist (born 21 August 1957) is a Swedish composer and conductor of classical music. She composes chamber music, orchestral works, music for the stage, and particularly vocal music, incorporating elements of folk music such as the vocal t ...

Amanda Röntgen-Maier Amanda Röntgen-Maier (20 February 1853 – 15 July 1894) was a Swedish violinist and composer. She was the first female graduate in music direction from the Royal College of Music in Stockholm in 1872. Biography Amanda Maier was born into a ...

Ákos Rózmann Ákos Rózmann (; 16 July 1939 – 12 August 2005) was a Hungarian-Swedish composer and organist. Rózmann was born in Budapest, Hungary, on 16 July 1939. He studied composition with Rezső Sugár at the Bartók Béla Secondary School of Music b ...

* Jan Sandström *

Sven-David Sandström Sven-David Sandström (30 October 1942 – 10 June 2019) was a Swedish classical composer of operas, oratorios, ballets, and choral works, as well as orchestral works. Life and career Sandström was born in Motala and studied art history and mus ...

Carl Unander-Scharin Carl Unander-Scharin (born 1964) is a Swedish opera singer, composer, professor, and researcher. Early years He was born in Stockholm in 1964 and studied at the Royal College of Music and at the University College of Opera, Stockholm, where he ...

Elsa Stuart-Bergstrom Elsa Marianne Stuart-Bergstrom (26 April 1889 – 19 May 1970) was a Swedish author, composer,( and music critic who wrote several biographies, composed about 60 songs as well as orchestral works, and sometimes published under the pseudonyms Kaime ...

Tore Uppström Tore Ingvar Uppström (8 December 1937 in Stockholm – 8 June 2006) was a Swedish pianist, composer and author. Uppström studied at Royal College of Music, Stockholm, from 1959 to 1963 and at the Vienna Academy of Music from 1963 to 1964. ...

(also a notable pianist and author) * Adolf Wiklund (also a notable conductor) * Ivar Widner *

Dag Wirén Dag Ivar Wirén (15 October 1905 – 19 April 1986) was a Swedish composer. Life Wirén was born at Striberg near Nora. His father had a roller blind factory, and there were various musical activities in the family home; he took piano ...

Đuro Živković Đuro Živković, also rendered as Djuro Zivkovic ( Serbian Cyrillic: Ђуро Живковић; born 1975), is a Serbian-Swedish composer and violinist. He has lived in Stockholm, Sweden, since 2000. Biography Živković was born in Belgrade, ...

* Swani Zubayeer *

Kali Malone Kali Malone (born 1994) is an American composer and organist based in Stockholm. Her works implement unique tuning systems in minimal music, minimalist form for analog synthesis, analog and digital synthesis often combined with acoustic instrumen ...

Conductors

Herbert Blomstedt Herbert Thorson Blomstedt (; born 11 July 1927) is a Swedish conductor of classical music. At the age of 97 he continues to conduct concerts in Europe and the United States. Biography Herbert Blomstedt was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, t ...

* Ragnar Bohlin *

Sixten Ehrling Evert Sixten Ehrling (3 April 1918 – 13 February 2005) was a Swedish conductor and pianist who, during a long career, served as the music director of the Royal Swedish Opera and the principal conductor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, am ...

Eric Ericson Eric Gustaf Ericson (26 October 1918 – 16 February 2013) was a Swedish choral conductor and influential choral teacher. Life and career He graduated from the Royal College of Music (''Kungl. Musikhögskolan'') in Stockholm in 1943 and ...

* Nils Grevillius *

Veronika Portsmuth Veronika Portsmuth (born 27 November 1980 in Tallinn, Estonia) is an Estonian Conducting, conductor and singer. Childhood Portsmuth started singing at the age of 3, when she started as one of the soloists in Ave Kumpas singing studio. During t ...

Patrik Ringborg Patrik Ringborg (born 1 November 1965) is a Swedish Conducting, conductor, member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. Career Born in Stockholm, as a student Ringborg attended the Adolf Fredrik's Music School in Stockholm. After studies at th ...

* Erik Westberg *

Niklas Willén Niklas Willén (born 30 March 1961) is a Swedish Conducting, conductor. He was born in Stockholm and studied conducting and composition there at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, Royal College of Music. His conducting teachers were Professo ...

* Adolf Wiklund (also a composer) *

Ariel Zuckermann Ariel Zuckermann (; born in 1973 in Tel Aviv) is an Israelis, Israeli conductor, since 2015 director and conductor of the Israel Chamber Orchestra. Career Ariel Zuckermann began his musical career as flautist. A student of Paul Meisen and A ...

(also a flutist)

Instrumentalists

Tor Aulin Tor Aulin (10 September 1866 – 1 March 1914) was a Swedish violinist, conductor and composer. Biography Aulin studied music at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm (1877-1883) under and then in the Conservatory of Berlin Berlin ...

, violinist *

Carolina Eyck Carolina Eyck (born 26 December 1987) is a German-Sorbs, Sorb musician and composer who specialises in playing the theremin. Biography Eyck was born in 1987, near Berlin, Germany. She is a member of the Sorbs, Sorbian community of East German ...

theremin The theremin (; originally known as the ætherphone, etherphone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox) is an electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact by the performer (who is known as a thereminist). It is named aft ...

player * Fredrik Fors, clarinetist *

Martin Fröst Martin Fröst (born 14 December 1970) is a Swedish clarinetist and conductor. As a clarinetist, he performs internationally and is considered one of the most renowned instrumental soloists ever. He is the first clarinetist to be awarded ...

, clarinetist * Gustaf Hägg, organist and composer * David Hughes, bass player * Anna Lang, harpist *

Ingrid Lang-Fagerström Ingrid Lang-Fagerström (1897–1990) was a Swedish harpist at the royal chapel in Stockholm. Life and work Ingrid was born 6 March 1897 in Stockholm to the classical harpists Anna Lang and Josef Lang who were both employed with Kungliga Hovka ...

, harpist *

Christian Lindberg Christian Lindberg (born 15 February 1958) is a Swedish trombonist, conductor and composer. Biography Early life and career Lindberg was born in Danderyd. As a youth, he learned to play the trumpet, and subsequently began to learn the trombo ...

, trombone soloist *

Alf Linder Alf Linder (28 July 1907 – 21 December 1983) was a Swedish organist, renowned for his frequent radio broadcasts and his teaching at the Stockholm Conservatory. Life Linder was born in Hammerö, near Karlstad on 28 July 1907. He studied organ wit ...

, organist * Henrik Linder, bass player *

Anders Lundegård Anders Olof Lundegård is a Sweden, Swedish classical saxophonist. Lundegård is best known for his cello-like tone and intense performance style. Anders Lundegård was born in Växjö, Sweden, and made his debut at seventeen as a soloist and br ...

, saxophonist * Ellen Nisbeth, violist *

Natalya Pasichnyk Natalya Pasichnyk (Ukrainian: Наталя Пасічник), born February 13, 1971, is a Swedish-Ukrainian classical pianist. She lives in Stockholm. Biography Born in Rivne, Ukraine, Natalya is the daughter of Igor and Jadwiga (née Antonovich ...

, pianist *

Mika Pohjola Mika Pohjola ( (born December 1, 1971) is a Finnish-born jazz pianist and composer who resides in Stockholm. He is one of the most prolific Scandinavian jazz musicians in his generation. Biography Childhood in Helsinki, Finland 1971-87 Mika P ...

, jazz pianist and composer *

Monica Ramos Monica Ramos is a Chilean-born Swedish harpist. Biography Monica Ramos is a graduate of the Royal College of Music in Stockholm and has performed in the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, the Radio Symphony Orchestra of Sweden and the Swed ...

, harpist * Markus Sandlund, cellist * Staffan Scheja, pianist *

Esbjörn Svensson Bror Fredrik "Esbjörn" Svensson (16 April 1964 – 14 June 2008) was a Swedish jazz pianist and founder of the jazz group Esbjörn Svensson Trio, commonly known as e.s.t. Svensson became one of Europe's most successful jazz musicians at the tu ...

, jazz pianist and founder of the jazz group

Esbjörn Svensson Trio Esbjörn Svensson Trio (or e.s.t.) was a Swedish jazz piano trio formed in 1993 consisting of Esbjörn Svensson (piano), Dan Berglund (double bass), and Magnus Öström (drums). Its music had classical, rock, pop, and techno elements. It liste ...

Andreas Öberg Andreas Öberg (born 6 August 1978) is a Swedish guitarist, songwriter, and music producer. Music career Öberg was born in Stockholm on 6 August 1978. At the age of seven, he began taking classical guitar lessons at school. By He twelve, he s ...

, jazz guitarist * Andreas Johansson, drummer in

Narnia ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' is a series of seven portal fantasy novels by British author C. S. Lewis. Illustrated by Pauline Baynes and originally published between 1950 and 1956, the series is set in the fictional realm of Narnia, a ...

and

Royal Hunt Royal Hunt is a Danish progressive metal band. The band was founded in 1989 by keyboardist André Andersen in order to combine basic values of classic rock with progressive, current musical elements. The name originated from a painting seen in ...

Vocalists

Pernilla Andersson Pernilla Maria Theresa Andersson Dregen ( Andersson; 10 December 1974) is a Swedish singer-songwriter. She is the singing coach for the TV program ''True Talent''. Career Andersson was born in Stockholm but grew up in Hässleholm and Kristi ...

, singer and songwriter *

Margareta Bengtson Margareta Bengtson (born 1966) (formerly Margareta Jalkéus, having married and divorced Real Group bandmate Anders Jalkeus) is the former soprano of The Real Group, a professional a cappella vocal jazz quintet from Sweden. She sang with the grou ...

, soprano and founding member of

The Real Group The Real Group is an a cappella group from Sweden. Members are Clara Fornander, Joanné Pastor Nugas, Johannes Rückert Becker, Axel Berntzon and Daniele Dees. The group's members compose and arrange most of their songs. They sing in English an ...

Jussi Björling Johan Jonatan "Jussi" Björling ( , ; 5 February 19119 September 1960) was a Swedish tenor. One of the leading operatic singers of the 20th century, Björling appeared for many years at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City and less frequentl ...

, tenor *

Anders Edenroth Anders is a male name in Scandinavian languages and Fering North Frisian, an equivalent of the Greek Andreas ("manly") and the English Andrew. It originated from Andres via metathesis. In Sweden, Anders has been one of the most common names fo ...

, tenor and founding member of

Selma Ek Selma Ek (3 September 1856 – 3 May 1941) was a Swedish operatic soprano who had an active international career from the 1870s through the 1890s. Like Lilli Lehmann and Lillian Nordica, she was one of those universally talented singers of the lat ...

, soprano *

Malena Ernman Sara Magdalena Ernman (born 4 November 1970), professionally known as Malena Ernman, is a Swedish mezzo-soprano opera singer. Besides operas and operettas, she has also performed chansons, cabaret, jazz, and appeared in musicals. She is a member ...

, soprano *

John Forsell Carl Johan Jacob Forsell (6 November 1868 – 30 May 1941), known as John Forsell, was a prominent Swedish baritone, opera administrator and teacher of voice. He was the leading baritone of the Royal Swedish Opera (RSO) from 1896 to 1918, a ...

, baritone * Ellen Gulbranson, soprano *

Håkan Hagegård Nils Olov Håkan Hagegård (born 25 November 1945)

, baritone *

Anders Jalkéus Anders is a male name in Scandinavian languages and Fering North Frisian, an equivalent of the Greek Andreas ("manly") and the English Andrew. It originated from Andres via metathesis. In Sweden, Anders has been one of the most common names fo ...

, bass and founding member of

Peter Jöback Peter Arne Jöback (born 4 June 1971) is a Swedish singer, actor and musical artist. Jöback has acted in musical theatre, with lead roles in West End productions of ''Miss Saigon'' and ''The Witches of Eastwick''. He is also known for his port ...

, singer and musical artist * Sofia Karlsson, folk singer * Leonard Labatt, tenor *

Peter Mattei Peter Mattei (born 3 June 1965) in Piteå is a Swedish operatic baritone, particularly known for his performances in Mozart's baritone roles. Biography Mattei studied at the Royal Swedish Academy of Music, and debuted in Mozart's ''La finta gi ...

, baryton *

Kerstin Meyer Kerstin Margareta Meyer, CBE (3 April 1928 – 14 April 2020) was a Swedish mezzo-soprano who enjoyed an international career in opera and concert. A long-time member of the Royal Swedish Opera and Hamburg State Opera, she appeared regular ...

, mezzo-soprano *

Birgit Nilsson Märta Birgit Nilsson (17 May 1918 – 25 December 2005) was a Swedish dramatic soprano. Although she sang a wide repertoire of operatic and vocal works, Nilsson was best known for her performances in the operas of Richard Wagner and Richard St ...

, soprano *

Anne Sofie von Otter Anne Sofie von Otter (born 9 May 1955) is a Swedish mezzo-soprano. Her repertoire encompasses lieder, operas, oratorios and also rock and pop songs. Early life Von Otter was born in Stockholm, Sweden. Her father was Göran von Otter, a Swedi ...

, mezzo-soprano *

Susanne Rydén Susanne Ingegerd Rydén (born 2 October 1962) is a Swedish soprano who has been called "Sweden's most renowned singer specialising in early and classical music". She has performed across Europe and abroad. She is currently the preses (chairman) o ...

, soprano *

Elisabeth Söderström Anna Elisabeth Söderström (married name Olow; 7 May 192720 November 2009) was a Swedish soprano who performed both opera and song, and was known as a leading interpreter of the works of Janáček, Rachmaninoff and Sibelius.Elizabeth Sleeman, ' ...

, soprano * Kerstin Thorborg, mezzo-soprano *

Lena Willemark Lena Willemark (born 12 May 1960) is a Swedish traditional music fiddler, singer, and composer, who combines elements of folk and jazz. Born in Älvdalen, Dalarna, Willemark grew up with the region's folk music. In Stockholm in the 1970s, she a ...

, folk singer

Others

Rasmus Fleischer Rasmus Fleischer (born 19 April 1978 in Halmstad) is a Swedish historian, essayist and musician. He earned his Ph.D. in history in 2012 with a dissertation that was also published as a book of 640 pages: "The political economy of music: Legislati ...

, Swedish historian, musician, freelance journalist and debater *

, author and music critic

External links

*
Official webpage
Music schools in Sweden 1771 in Sweden Higher education in Stockholm University colleges in Sweden 1771 establishments in Sweden {{Music-org-stub