Ulf Åke Wilhelm Grahn

1942 - 2023

Grahn

Ulf Åke Wilhelm Grahn

Ulf Åke Wilhelm Grahn, our beloved husband, father, brother, pioneering composer, music and language teacher, and photographer passed away January 25, 2023 after a valiant battle with an aggressive large B cell CNS lymphoma. Born January 17, 1942 in Solna, Sweden to Thea Grahn, he is survived by his wife Barbro Dahlman; son Pierre; and sister Birgitta. Ulf and Birgitta's father left when they were very young, leading Ulf to take on a larger role around the house. From early childhood, music played a big part in family and life leading to formal training in composition from Hans Eklund, Swedish Royal Academy of Music, and Catholic University of America and for violin at Stockholms Musikpedagogiska Institut among others. He also held a civil economics degree from Upsalla and Lunds University. Ulf and Barbro moved to the States in 1972 to continue pursuit of lives in music. In 1973, they founded the Contemporary Music Forum and later in 1987, he became director of the Siljan Music Festival. In between those years, he was on the music faculty at George Washington University, Catholic University, and Northern Virginia Community College. He was a prolific and award winning composer of contemporary classical music ranging from solo pieces, to ensemble, to electronic, to pieces for orchestra - with commissions from groups and individuals including the Library of Congress, Levine School of Music, Stockholm Philharmonic, and National Symphony Orchestra String Quartet. He took part in several residencies including a few stints at Wolf Trap Farm Park, Centre Culturel Suedois in Paris, FST in Berlin Germany and Cortona Italy, Swedish Institute in Athens Greece, and the Hugo Alfven Foundation in Leksand Sweden. Starting a new chapter in his life after Pierre's birth, he distinguished himself teaching Swedish at the State Department's Foreign Service Institute. He was known in many circles for his arid wit. Unlike his humor, his inkwell for penning new music was never dry, and he never stopped writing. Even through this devastating illness, he maintained an air of stoic silliness and he never stopped composing. He will be remembered and his understated mirthful spirit will live ever on through his music. There will be a combined Memorial and Palm Sunday service on April 2, 2023 at 4 p.m. at the Augustana Lutheran Church (2100 New Hampshire Ave., NW, Washington DC). The service will largely be in Swedish. The family is planning for a separate celebration of his life and music at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Levine Music or the NSO.