Elfrida Andrée

Who was Elfrida Andrée?

Elfrida Andrée, was a Swedish organist, composer, and conductor.

Andrée was born in Visby. She was the pupil of Ludvig Norman and Niels Wilhelm Gade. Her sister was the singer Fredrika Stenhammar. An activist in the Swedish women's movement, she was one of the first female organists to be officially appointed in Scandinavia. She began work in Stockholm in 1861 and became the organist at Gothenburg Cathedral in 1867. For her services, she was elected to the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. She died in Gothenburg.

Andrée's two organ symphonies are still performed today. Her other compositions included the opera Fritiofs saga, several works for orchestra including two symphonies, a piano quartet in A minor and a piano quintet in E minor, a piano trio in G minor, a string quartet in D minor from 1861 and another in A major, pieces for violin and for piano, two Swedish masses, an 1879 choral ballade "Snöfrid", and lieder.

A 1996 recording on the Caprice label featured Andrée's piano quintet, along with a piano sonata, the string quartet in D minor, and vocal music.