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HALLSTROM, IVAR BIOGRAPHY

(1826 - 1901)

The Swedish composer Ivar Hallstrom was born on 24 February 1826 in Stockholm, Sweden. He was taught to play the piano by Theodore Stein, but was a self-taught composer who first studied law at the University of Uppsala and earned his degree. He became a librarian, and while working for Oscar Fredrik (the future King Oscar II), he composed several works. He did not write his first opera until 1847 when, together with librettist Frans Hedberg, he wrote Hvita frun p Drottningholm. The next work that the two wrote together, Duke Magnus and the Mermaid, came nearly twenty years later in 1865 and was received with much praise, ultimately becoming Swedens national opera. All of his stage works were performed in Stockholm. During his time, he was the leading opera composer in Sweden, and came to be known as the creator of Swedish national opera. Among his other works are The Flowers Wonderment (1860) and Mr. Hjalmar and Fair Ingrid (1865), earlier works written for soloists and choir, and Little Karin (1898), his last national opera. Ivar Hallstrom died in 1901.