Benjamin Staern (b. 1978) is widely recognized as one of the leading Scandinavian composers of his generation. He made an early breakthrough with The Threat of War (1999), composed while still a student at the Malmö Academy of Music, where he studied with Rolf Martinsson, Hans Gefors, and Luca Francesconi.

His music is known for a deeply personal style shaped by synaesthesia—an ability to associate sounds with colors—which informs both his sound world and the titles of his works (Yellow Skies, Colour Wandering).

Staern’s output spans orchestral, chamber, solo, and electroacoustic music.

Major orchestral works include Jubilate (2009), Godai – Concerto for Orchestra (2013), Polar Vortex (2014), and Symphony No. 2 – Through Purgatory to Paradise (2022). His clarinet concerto Worried Souls (2011) won the prestigious Christ Johnson Prize. As composer-in-residence with the New European Ensemble (2010–2014), he created acclaimed works like Bells and Waves and SAIYAH.

Staern has also gained recognition as an opera composer. His opera The Snow Queen premiered to great acclaim at Malmö Opera in 2016 and has since been performed in Germany and at the Royal Swedish Opera. Other stage works include Hilma (2018), the latter later staged at the Guggenheim Museum in New York.

He has collaborated with leading soloists such as Håkan Hardenberger and Karin Dornbusch, and conductors including Sakari Oramo, Christian Karlsen, Cathrine Winnes and Leif Segerstam. His music is performed by major Swedish and international orchestras, including the MDR Sinfonieorchester, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. From 2024 to 2026, he is artistic partner with the Västerås Sinfonietta, with upcoming premieres including Dancing Fairies (flute concerto) and a new double concerto for Malin Broman and Simon Crawford-Philips.

Updated June 2025. 300 words.