Composition year: 2022
Level of skill: Intermediate
Instrumentation: ch
Category: Choir
Anna Cederberg-Orreteg is one of Sweden’s most respected and widely performed choral composers, celebrated for her craftsmanship, lyrical expression, and refined simplicity. Her works span from accessible pieces for children’s choirs to complex polyphonic compositions for mixed choir, often incorporating tonal painting and a deep sensitivity to text and harmony.
Born in Stockholm, Cederberg-Orreteg studied at the Royal College of Music, graduating in 1982 as a music director with piano as her main instrument and double bass as her secondary. She began composing and arranging early on for the vocal group she sang in, and later sang with the Storkyrkan choir under Gustaf Sjökvist—an experience that significantly shaped her as a choral composer.
Alongside her long teaching career, including many years at Adolf Fredrik’s Music Classes, she developed a strong commitment to accessible, high-quality music for all ages. Her school teaching revealed a need for well-crafted repertoire at varying skill levels, which inspired her to create inclusive and pedagogically sound choral music—earning her admiration from colleagues and students alike.
In 2023, following her retirement from teaching, a tribute concert titled Music is my name—after one of her well-known three-part works—was held in her honor. The same year, her song collection Sång gångn, part of a collaboration between the Royal College of Music and the Church of Sweden, received high praise for its thoughtful arrangements and effective piano accompaniments.
Cederberg-Orreteg’s music is published by all major Swedish music publishers, with a substantial catalog at Gehrmans Musikförlag. Her 2022 piece Natten då stjärnorna föll was featured in Gehrmans' #svenskkörmusik initiative and premiered by the Swedish Youth Choir under Erik Westberg, earning international attention.
Among her awards are the Children’s and Youth Choir Director of the Year (2005), Körkraft’s Composition Prize, and grants from the Swedish Composers' Association and the Stockholm Music Society.