Background
Hambraeus, Bengt was born on January 29, 1928 in Stockholm. Arrived in Canada, 1972.
Hambraeus, Bengt was born on January 29, 1928 in Stockholm. Arrived in Canada, 1972.
Organ studies with Alf Linder, 1944-1948; Master of Arts, Uppsala U., 1950; Doctor of Philosophy, Uppsala U., 1956; Doctor of Philosophy (honorary), Uppsala U., 1992.
From 1957 to 1972 he worked at the music department of the Swedish Radio, eventually holding executive and producer posts, and during this time became a very high-profile emissary of new music in Sweden, encouraging discussion of new musical forms, a renewal of organ music with new tonal/technical concepts and the integration of performance art, improvisation, live electronics and stereo/spatial effects into traditional concert performing. He was also a prolific composer. In 1972 he became professor of composition at McGill University, Montreal and he remained in Canada until his death in 2000.
Among his notable pupils are composer Peter Allen and pianist Richard Hunt. Hambraeus wrote music for a large number of instruments, but he perhaps best known for his organ works. Together with Mauricio Kagel and György Ligeti he was among the first to use high modernist compositional methods to compose organ music.
Limelight Records released his Constellations and Interferences on LP.
Member Royal Swedish Music Academy, Swedish Composers Society, Swedish Composers Performance Right Bureau, Canada League Composers, Swedish Society Musicology.
M. Enid Odenaes, March 21, 1960. Children: Michael, Elisabeth.