Pehr Henrik Nordgren

Nordgren died

Nordgren died august 25:

Composer Pehr Henrik Nordgren has died on August 25, 2008, at the age of 64, in Kaustinen, Finland.

Nordgren's oeuvre includes eight symphonies, several concertos, as well as eleven string quartets. His musical style has been acclaimed for its personal voice and emotional expressiveness; Nordgren considered music as a mode of communication with fellow men. His music has been influenced by a variety of composition techniques, as well as musics from different parts of the world, for example Finnish folk music and Japanese musical tradition.

Nordgren lived in Kaustinen, in the region of Central Ostrobothnia in Finland. In the 1970's he founded the Kaustinen Chamber Music festival, and he was the composer-in-residence of the Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra. Nordgren was awarded several significant prizes. In 1998 he received the prize of Finnish Cultural Foundation, in 1999 Pro Finlandia Medal, and in 2006 the cultural prize of the Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland.

Nordgren was active as a composer until the last months of his life. Five new works were premiered in 2007, and his last two string quartets got their premieres in 2008.