Biography
Erik Nordgren was a Swedish composer, arranger and bandleader. Born Herman Erik Nordgren on 13 February 1913 in Sireköpinge, Malmöhus County, he graduated from the Royal College of Music in Stockholm in 1941 and played the viola.
Between 1945 and 1973 he wrote music for more than 60 Swedish films. He composed scores for 17 or 18 films by Ingmar Bergman, including The Seventh Seal (1957), Wild Strawberries (1957), Smiles of a Summer Night (1955), The Virgin Spring (1960) and Through a Glass Darkly (1961), as well as works for directors such as Jan Troell, Alf Sjöberg and Gustaf Molander. He served as music director at Svensk Filmindustri from 1953 to 1967.
From 1967 to 1977 Nordgren was orchestra director at Swedish Radio. He also composed concert works, including string quartets and concertos, and later electronic music. He received an award from the magazine Folket i Bild for his score for Wild Strawberries. Nordgren died on 6 March 1992 in Västerhaninge, Sweden.
