Harald Sigurd Johan Saeverud was born in Bergen, Norway, April 17th 1897; even though music held a strong position in the family when he was a child, he was 18 years old when he started his musical education.

He then started his studies at the Bergen Music Conservatory with Borghild Holmsen as professor in piano and harmony.

As a student in Bergen he finished his first opus; 5 Capricci for piano, and had the first part of his first symphony performed at the Concert of the Young in Kristiania (Oslo) in 1920.

After recommendations from the Norwegian composer Gerhard Schjelderup, Harald Saeverud won a scholarship which enabled him to study at the Staatliche Hochschule fuer Musik in Berlin.

In Germany he spent much time with the Norwegian conductor-student Johan Ludwig Mowinckel JR. and the Slovenian painter Bozidar Jakac.

Returning to Bergen he composed a great number of larger works for the orchestra and for the theatre.

His aggressive musical language was often discussed in Bergen in the 1920s, and Harald Saeverud was often strongly criticised.

In 1934 Harald married Marie Hvoslef, who was so wealthy that Saeverud was enabled to focus more on composing.

In 1938 Harald was one of the founders of the association New Music and was vice chairman of the board until 1954.

Saeverud’s strong personality is shown in his compositions during the German occupation from 1940 - 45, especially in the three war symphonies.

The latter was dedicated to the Norwegian resistance, and has become the musical symbol for the struggle against dictatorship and occupation.

As a contrast to these works he also composed a series of small pieces for piano.

After the war his music for Henrik Ibsen’s dramatic poem Peer Gynt stands in a special position.

The music was composed for the staging of the play at Norske Teatret (The Norwegian Theatre) in Oslo in 1948, and was an immediate success.

From the 19 pieces from the stage-version he extracted 12 pieces for a concert-version, which are among his most frequently played orchestral-works today.

In the 1970s Harald composed his three string-quartets; his last composition was a Sonatina for viola and piano, composed in 1989; Harald Saeverud died in Bergen in 1992, 95 years old.