Palmgren, Selim (1878–1951)

Finnish pianist, composer, and conductor. He was professor of composition at the Eastman School of Music at Rochester, New York 1923–26 and from 1936 at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, where he died. His works include operas, incidental music, choral works, five piano concertos, and numerous piano pieces.

He studied at the Helsinki Conservatory, where his teachers included Martin Wegelius (1846–1906), and later with Conrad Ansorge (1862–1930) in Germany and Ferruccio Busoni in Italy. On his return he became conductor of the Finnish Students' Choral Society and later of the Music Society at Turku. He also frequently appeared as a pianist. He married the singer Minna Talvik in 1930, and toured Europe and the USA with her.

Works Opera and stage operas Daniel Hjort (1910) and Peter Schlemihl (after Chamisso); incidental music to Kyösti's Tukhimo (Cinderella).

Other choral works; five piano concertos (II The River; III Metamorphoses; IV April); numerous piano pieces.