Alice Tegnér

BIOGRAPHY
Alice Tegnér’s musical education began with piano lessons from her father. At the age of thirteen, she enrolled at Åhlinska Skolan, one of the earliest girls’ schools in Sweden to provide a rigorous academic education. There, she studied piano with Hermann Berens, a professor at the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. Following the death of her father, Tegnér’s family experienced significant financial hardship, prompting her to prioritize teaching as a means of supporting her mother and siblings. Although these circumstances brought an end to her formal studies at the Academy, Tegnér continued her musical education privately, studying piano and composition with Ludvig Norman.

Tegnér became particularly well known for her contributions to Swedish children’s music, composing eight collections of songs that achieved widespread circulation throughout the country. Her musical influences included Swedish folk traditions as well as the works of composers such as Felix Mendelssohn, Frédéric Chopin, and Robert Schumann. Her contributions to Swedish music were recognized through several honors, including first prize in the Idun tonsättartävling, a Swedish composition competition. She was also elected as a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music.

In her later years, Tegnér continued to advocate for the role of music in education. She established the Alice Tegnér Fund, which promoted the integration and importance of music within Swedish schools. Her influence on Swedish children’s music has endured, and many of her songs remain widely known and performed in Sweden. In addition to her extensive repertoire of children’s songs, Tegnér composed cantatas, choral works, solo vocal music, and instrumental compositions, including three works for cello and three works for violin.