Catharina Palmér (b. 1963, Karlskrona) is a Swedish composer with a broad musical background in violin, piano, and organ, in addition to her formal composition training. She earned her diploma in composition from the Royal College of Music in Stockholm in 1998 with Counterpoint to Silence for the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra. In 2006, she completed a doctorate in composition at Indiana University, USA, with the chamber opera Master Zacharias as her final work. She has been a member of the Swedish Composers' Association since 1999.
Palmér's music has been widely performed in Sweden and internationally, by ensembles including the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Stockholm Saxophone Quartet, Kroumata, Musica Vitae, and leading choirs such as the Eric Ericson Chamber Choir, Orphei Drängar, and the Swedish, Latvian, German, and Netherlands Radio Choirs. From 2006–2009, she served as one of three composers-in-residence for the Tonsatt project by Musik i Syd.
She has achieved particular acclaim in choral music. Notable recognitions include first prize in Indiana University’s vocal composition competition (2002) and second prize in Hymnia's international competition (2003) for Kissrain, Watersleep, later performed by the Swedish Radio Choir at the ISCM World New Music Days (2009) and the Baltic Sea Festival (2010). In 2013–2014, the Swedish Radio Choir dedicated a portrait series to Palmér, concluding with the premiere of Strings in the air above, which earned her a nomination for the 2014 Musikförläggarnas Konstmusikpris.
In 2015, Palmér was named Composer of the Year by the Stockholm Music Society, especially for her contributions to choral music. She has received numerous awards and grants, including scholarships from the Royal Swedish Academy of Music, STIM, and the Swedish Arts Grants Committee. Poetry is a major source of inspiration in her work, shaping both her vocal and instrumental compositions.