Sweden Conductor

Elfrida Andrée, born on February 19, 1841, in Visby, Sweden, and passing on January 11, 1929, in Gothenburg, was a trailblazer in Swedish music. She was the first woman in Sweden to qualify as an organist (1857–1860) and the first to serve as a cathedral organist, a position she held at Gothenburg Cathedral from 1867 until her death. Andrée studied composition with Ludvig Norman at the Royal Swedish Academy of Music (1860). As a composer of chamber and symphonic works, she was a pioneer in Sweden, and her accomplishments extended to orchestral conducting—a rare achievement for women at the time. She became a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music in 1879, received the Litteris et Artibus award in 1895, and joined the Idun Women’s Academy fellowship in 1908.

At the age of 20, Elfrida Andrée played a key role in advancing women’s rights in music. With her father’s support, she campaigned through correspondence and discussions with members of parliament, successfully advocating for a legal change in 1861 that allowed women to apply for and hold organist positions. Two years later, she contributed to another legislative reform that permitted women to work as telegraph operators.

Andrée’s legacy as a composer is significant, with her two organ symphonies continuing to be performed today. Her works include the opera Fritiofs saga (1899, with a libretto by Selma Lagerlöf), two symphonies, a piano quartet in A minor (1870), a piano quintet in E minor (1865), and a piano trio in G minor (1887) as well as another published posthumously in C minor. She also wrote a string quartet in D minor (1861) and another in A major, violin sonatas in E-flat and B-flat major, various piano pieces, two Swedish masses, the choral ballad Snöfrid (1879), and numerous lieder.

As an educator and examiner at the Royal Swedish Academy of Music in Gothenburg, Andrée trained and mentored many women organists. By 1889, Gothenburg stood out as the only Swedish diocese with women organists, a testament to Andrée’s influence as cathedral organist.

Throughout her life, Elfrida Andrée remained committed to the advancement of women. Her dedication to “the elevation of womankind” was a guiding principle that she upheld until her final days.