Gehrmans Musikförlag is one of the leading music publishers in the Nordics. The limited company was founded in 1893 by Carl Gehrman.
The publisher's threads go back in time to the pioneering days of Swedish music publishers and sheet music dealers in the early 1800s. Musikaliska Magazinet was founded as a music store in 1802 by Pär Aron Borg and started with suggestion business in 1804. During the following decades, the company changed owners a few times and had different names, among others GA Östergrens Musikhandel, Östergrens Musik- och Bokhandel, Östergren & Hirsch and Abr. Hirsch Office.
In 1874, Julius Bagge bought the music business and expanded it with his own publishing business. Carl Gehrman took over the business in 1892 and the following year it became a joint-stock company, which mainly dealt with genres popular at the time such as lounge music, schlager and choral music. Also the music publishing business from Abr. Hirsch was eventually incorporated into Gehrmans.
In 1930 Gehrmans was bought by Inge and Einar Rosenborg. Alongside popular music, orchestral music was given a central place in the business. A number of Sweden's leading composers were associated with the publisher and thus a number of works that are considered classics in the Swedish orchestral repertoire, such as Lars-Erik Larsson's Förklädd gud and Pastoralsvit, Hugo Alfvén's Gustaf II Adolfssvit and Dag Wirén's Serenade for string orchestra.
Choir music was an important part of the publisher's repertoire. It included many choral pieces that are still often sung, such as Alfvén's arrangement of Swedish folk songs, Wilhelm Stenhammar's Three Choirs and Wilhelm Peterson-Berger's Våren kom en Walborgnatt.
Gehrmans had avoided being bought out, a fate that befell many other music publishers. In order to create long-term and stable ownership, the Rosenborg couple formed a foundation in 1950, which became the main owner.
The publisher's profile had developed to primarily deal with choral, chamber and orchestral music. In addition, during the 1950s, a significant publication of music education material began with Carl-Bertil Agnestig as the big name.
In 1999, Gehrman's and Sweden's Körförbund Publishing's operations and catalogs were merged. The two most important driving catalogs in Sweden were thus brought together under the same roof. To Gehrman's catalog was added music from, among others, Ivar Widéen, Otto Olsson, Gottfrid Berg, Bengt Hallberg and Georg Riedel.
In 2007, Gehrmans bought Warner/Chappell Music Scandinavia's orchestral, chamber and choral music catalogs, including Nordiska Musikförlaget's repertoire. There are works by Allan Pettersson, Eduard Tubin, Ingvar Lidholm, Sven-David Sandström and Anders Eliasson.
The Finnish part of the Warner catalog (Warner/Chappell Music Finland, Edition Fazer) was acquired at the same time by Gehrman's Finnish subsidiary Fennica Gehrman Oy Ab, which also publishes new works by the leading Finnish composers.
In 2002, Fennica Gehrman Oy Ab was founded, in which the Gehrmans are the majority owner. The company's roots go back to 1897 when Fazer Musik was founded by Konrad Georg Fazer. The company came to influence Finland's musical life by providing most of what was needed to play and listen to music. The publisher took responsibility for publishing Finnish serious music through Edition Fazer. Among the early composers are Jean Sibelius, Erkki Melartin, Selim Palmgren, Armas Järnefelt and Oskar Merikanto. Later, among others, Leevi Madetoja, Yrjö Kilpinen and Einojuhani Rautavaara were added. During the 1990s, Fazer also became the publisher of Estonian composers such as Veljo Tormis and Erkki-Sven Tüür.
Fazer Music was bought in 1993 by Warner Music Group, which in 2002 began a collaboration with Gehrmans Musikförlag on the catalog of classical music. Fennica Gehrman was formed to take care of the Finnish part in the best possible way. At the same time as Gehrman's acquisition of the Warner catalogue, Fennica Gehrman took over the Finnish part.
Fennica Gehrman publishes leading contemporary Finnish composers such as Kalevi Aho, Mikko Heiniö, Olli Kortekangas and Lotta Wennäkoski.
Educational material is an important branch of Gehrman's publishing. During the 1950s, the publication of Carl Bertil Agnestig's instrument schools meant an important development for the publisher. In recent years, Åse Söderqvist-Spering's collections and pedagogical methods for piano have had a major impact on music education in the country. The range was strengthened in 2015 through the acquisition of the publisher Lutfisken, which has published instrumental schools and materials for schools and preschools.
Gehrman's profile of choral, chamber and orchestral music together with music education material has been maintained and strengthened over the years. Gehrmans today represents many of the country's leading composers and music educators. Some of these are Tobias Broström, Daniel Börtz, Jörgen Dafgård, Mats Larsson Gothe, Tommie Haglund, Fredrik Högberg, Thomas Jennefelt, Nils Lindberg, Olle Lindberg, Rolf Martinsson, Karin Rehnqvist, Marie Samuelsson, Sven-David Sandström, Albert Schnelzer, Fredrik Sixten, Agneta Sköld and Benjamin Staern as well as some from the new generation such as Jonas Valfridsson and Cecilia Damström.
President
Mats Bernerstedt, consultant, Uppsala
Ordinary members of the board
Anna Cokorilo, consultant, Stockholm
Karin Rosenborg, paediatrician, Stockholm
Petter Ekberg, choir director, Gothenburg
Gustav Djupsjöbacka, Fennica Gehrman OY AB, Helsinki, Finland
Alternate
Annika Richter, Senior Innovation Manager, Stockholm
Auditor
Josefin Fors, Grant Thornton
Inge and Einar Rosenborg's Foundation for Swedish Music (today Rosenborg Gehrman's Foundation for Swedish Music) was founded in 1950 through a donation by the music publisher Einar Rosenborg and his wife Mrs. Inge Bahnson-Rosenborg. The foundation's main task is to promote the publication and distribution of valuable Swedish music through Gehrmans Musikförlag AB (in which the foundation is the main owner). The foundation also supports music life by awarding scholarships etc
At the end of the 1920s, Carl Gehrman had scaled back the reissue. After 37 years as the owner of Carl Gehrmans Musikförlag, he sold the publisher in 1930 to the spouses Inge and Einar Rosenborg. Einar Rosenborg had behind him a career as a journalist, public educator and liberal idea debater. During his time, the business gained momentum again, among other things, Lars-Erik Larsson and several other of the era's leading composers were associated with the publisher.
In 1950, husband and wife Rosenborg Inge and Einar Rosenborg founded the Foundation for Swedish Music. The foundation's main task is to be a long-term, stable main owner of Gehrmans Musikförlag.
The foundation shall further use the returns from the activities for scholarships to Swedish composers, musicians and music students and other culturally interested recipients within Swedish musical life. Since 1952, around 200 recipients have received scholarships with a total value in today's monetary value of over eight million kroner. The first recipient of the Rosenborg Gehrmans scholarship was the composer Allan Pettersson.
The foundation's task is to promote the publication of valuable Swedish music through Gehrmans Musikförlag AB (in which the foundation has 80% of the shares). According to the statutes, the purpose of the foundation is further to use the yield of its assets for
The music publisher's main owner, Rosenborg Gehrman's Foundation for Swedish Music, was founded in 1950 through a donation by the music publisher Einar Rosenborg and his wife Mrs. Inge Bahnson-Rosenborg. The foundation's main task is to promote the publishing and distribution of valuable Swedish music through Gehrmans Musikförlag AB (in which the foundation has an ownership stake of just under 80% of the shares). The foundation also supports the music scene by awarding scholarships.
Choir leader of the year
Choir Leader of the Year, the Rosenborg Gehrman Foundation and the Association of Swedish Choir Leaders (FSK) joint scholarship of SEK 50,000 is awarded to a choir leader who has made a particularly significant contribution to Swedish choral life in his activities.
Rosenborg Gehrman's scholarship for young composers
The scholarship is normally awarded every two years with SEK 40,000 to a young composer or student in a composition class at a Swedish music college who has shown great talent for the composition profession.
Rosenborg Gehrman's study grant
The scholarship is awarded every two years with SEK 150,000 to Swedish music students in the vocal or instrumental field with proven talent beyond the ordinary and who are at an important stage in their education. Among otherwise equally meritorious candidates, preference is given to those who have shown a striking interest in Swedish music. The foundation appoints scholarship holders based on proposals from the Academy of Music. If special reasons justify it, a scholarship can be awarded to the same person twice, but no more.
Temporary scholarships
The foundation's board can, when available funds allow, decide on additional scholarships. However, the foundation does not award study grants beyond what is stated above.
Solistpriset – Sweden's foremost soloist competition
Rosenborg Gehrmans Foundation for Swedish Music, which is the main owner of Gehrmans Musikförlag, has reached an agreement with the King. The Academy of Music on participation in the "Solist prize", Sweden's foremost soloist competition. The soloist prize will thus be a collaboration between the Royal The Academy of Music, Sveriges Radio, Berwaldhallen, Musik i Syd, Gothenburg Symphony and Rosenborg Gehrman's Foundation for Swedish Music. See also KMA's website.
Applications and proposals for scholarships
Candidates for Rosenborg Gehrman's study scholarship are nominated from among the most meritorious applicants to the Royal. The Musical Academy's scholarships for higher music studies, after an audition for an expert jury has been completed.
For more information about the scholarship tests, refer to the Royal Musikaliska Akademien, Blasieholmstorg 8, 111 48 Stockholm, tel. 08-407 18 00. Special information about this year's test is provided during the spring semesters at the respective music and opera colleges.
Rosenborg Gehrman's Foundation for Swedish Music and the Association of Swedish Choir Leaders have reached an agreement in which they have agreed to cooperate on the Choir Leader of the Year scholarship, 2013–2021. Nominations can be emailed to ordforande@korledare.se - describe why your candidate is worthy of the Choir Leader of the Year scholarship!
Other scholarships cannot be applied for. Proposals for scholarship holders can be submitted to Rosenborg Gehrmans Foundation for Swedish Music, c/o Gehrmans Musikförlag, Box 42026, 126 12 STOCKHOLM.
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The above guidelines for scholarship activities have been revised and adopted on April 16, 2012.
Dividend
Scholarships are awarded in ways that the foundation decides.
