Royal Swedish Academy of Music

Hugo Alfvén, regarded by many to be Sweden's foremost composer from the period of romantic nationalism, lived in the idyllic village of Tibble outside Leksand in scenic Dalecarlia. He paid many visits to the United States as a composer and conductor, including many with his great choir from the Lake Siljan region, Silanskören. Alfvén’s internationally best-known orchestral works are the Suite from the ballet-pantomime The Mountain King , with its fantastic "Dance of the Shepherd Girl," Swedish Rhapsody No. 1 Midsummer Vigil , Swedish Rhapsody No.3 Dala Rhapsody, and his Festival Overture, which is always played at the annual Nobel Prize awarding ceremony. Many choirs in the United States are also quite familiar with his choral arrangements of "Out in our meadow" and the beautiful "King Lily of the Valley". Alfvén's unique home was built with a generous donation from the Swedish people in honor of his 70 th birthday. It was completed in 1945. In accordance with Hugo Alfvén's testament, the Royal Swedish Academy of Music manages the home and grounds and works to provide an inspiring and vibrant artistic environment for the benefit of composers and painters of coming generations. This important cultural site is open to visitors in the summertime, and, in the winter, visits are welcome, though only by appointment, all with an eye to disseminating and preserving the contributions of Hugo Alfvén to Swedish cultural heritage and music. Activities consist of guided tours, unique chamber music concerts, innovative music workshops for children and youth, events highlighting art songs and vocal recitals as well as choral singing, along with in-depth lectures. Financial donations enable the preservation and upkeep of the Alfvén Home and Grounds as well as support for young musicians and singers, both from the region and from all over Sweden. Unfortunately, public access to the house is hampered by poorly adapted visiting spaces. Indoor concerts can seat only about 35, which is insufficient to cover honorariums. Outdoor concerts do not function well owing to the lack of a stage and reasonable seating. The yield from the funds that Alfvén left to the Academy is also inadequate to cover personnel costs, renovations, etc. Unless the Academy can make substantial investments to improve accessibility, concert and program settings, seminars, etc., the Home and Grounds will ultimately face a financial situation where it will no longer be able to be preserved. The Academy is eager to greatly reinforce educational activities for children and youth at the Home and Grounds, not least in the form of choral singing and summer courses in art song performance, etc. The Academy would like to replace the decrepit dock down by the water with a stage and do landscaping work to enable seating by the water. With these minor improvements the Alfvén Home and Grounds would be able to arrange outdoor concerts for a seated audience of at least 200. This alone would make it possible to carry out concert activities that can generate a modicum of profit that could accrue to activities and operations, in anticipation of a new building (if such an edifice could be funded in the future). This would also render the grounds and public conveniences accessible to people with disabilities for the first time.