Anna Cederberg-Orreteg is one of our most established choral composers, awarded several times and celebrated for her craftsmanship and artistic quality. The compositions range from arrangements for children's choir to advanced works for mixed choir and her expression has been described as lyrical with refined simplicity and elements of tone painting. Anna Cederberg-Orreteg was born in Stockholm and educated at the Royal Academy of Music. She has worked as a pianist, singer, choir director and music teacher, including at Adolf Fredrik's Music Classes, since the 1980s.
In 2023 she retired from her teaching position and now has the opportunity to dedicate herself to composing to a greater extent. Anna Cederberg-Orreteg's strong
conviction of the importance of working seriously and long-term with musicians of all ages has given her music its characteristic simplicity and depth.
In 1982, Anna Cederberg-Orreteg graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm with a music director's degree, with piano as the main instrument and double bass as the secondary instrument. Even before her time at the Academy of Music, Anna had started composing and arranging music for the singing group she sang in at the time. For many years she also sang in the Storkyrkan's choir under Gustaf Sjökvist, a significant time for her development as a choral composer.
As a new professional music teacher, Anna quickly realized that it was difficult to find repertoire at an appropriate level for the school. She started writing and arranging more "targeted" music that worked with children in a regular school where everyone can participate, and was confirmed how important the subject of music is and its importance for children and young people's development in a broad perspective.
In connection with Anna's retirement in 2023, a tribute concert was held with colleagues and students at Adolf Fredrik's Music Classes, which was named after Anna's three-part pieceMusic is my name.
–Presenting pieces by Anna Cederberg-Orreteg to young singers is much appreciated,says a music teacher colleague in the concert program.They are not always easy pieces, but the students enjoy the harmonies, rhythms and nuances.
Sång ggang is the Royal Academy of Music's and the Church of Sweden's pilot project where they collaborate with the school to give all children the opportunity to develop their singing voice. Anna Cederberg-Orreteg has received great reviews for the associated song collection of the same name, where arrangements of children's favorites from our song treasure are accompanied by simple and effective piano parts.
Anna Cederberg-Orreteg has a large number of works published by all the major Swedish music publishers. Gehrman's catalog includes both simple arrangements for choir and instruments and advanced polyphonic music for mixed choir a cappella. Over the years, Anna has received orders from an increasing number of both Swedish and international top choirs.
In 2022, Anna received Cederberg-Orreteg's workThe night the stars fellstart the series #svenskkörmusik where six selected works and composers were presented with their own film and published by Gehrmans Musikförlag. The work was commissioned and premiered by Sweden's Youth Choir and Erik Westberg and has since reached an international audience.
Among the awards Anna Cederberg-Orreteg has received are Children's and Youth Choir Leader of the Year (2005), Körkraft's composition prize and scholarships from, among others, the Association of Swedish Composers and the Music Association in Stockholm.
