Helena Munktell

Swedish Romantic Era Composer and Pianist

Swedish composer, born November 24, 1852, dead September 10, 1919. She was born in Grycksbo, Dalarna, into a wealthy family, the youngest of nine children of Henry and Augusta Munktell. Her mother lived separately in Stockholm and after her father died, the family moved there. She studied singing, piano, counterpoint and instrumentation for Conrad Nordqvist, Johan Lindegren and Joseph Dente at the Conservatory of Music in Stockholm. She was taught composition by Ludvig Norman. They performed a lot of music in the Stockholm home and gave soirees according to the custom of the time. The mother ran the business from Stockholm, but moved with the family to Grycksbo during the summers, where the music life continued as during the father's days.