Hilding Hallnäs was born in the Swedish city of Halmstad, and grew up in a musical home where his father was a tenor in the male choir Orpheus’ Valets. At 21 he began studies at the Music Conservatory in Stockholm, which resulted in a diploma for the organ and conducting. After further studies in Paris and Leipzig, he became the organist in Johannebergs church in Gothenburg, Sweden, where he remained until he retired in 1968. He was also a teacher in the Orchestra School of Gothenburg until 1951, and chairman of Gothenburg’s Composers’ Union from 1957-1972. Hallnäs composed much music, orchestral and solo, for various instruments and voice. He became interested in composing for guitar at the suggestion of his friend Per-Olof Johnson, one of the most renowned names in Swedish guitar history. In 1968 Johnson and Anderssons Music Company in Malmö published Hallnäs’ first 12 preludes for guitar, with the promise that preludes 13-24 were on their way. After 36 years, they still remain in Hallnäs handwriting, having never been published. However, through the patient and devoted efforts of Per-Olof Johnson, two other Hallnäs guitar suites were composed and published by Anderssons Musikförlag: Partita Amabile (1968) and Strängaspel (“string-play”)(1975).
