Biography

Johan Ramström, born January 19, 1965, in Strängnäs, is a Swedish composer. He works across a range of genres, from symphonic music and electroacoustic works to film and theatre music.

Ramström grew up in Strängnäs and began his musical career as a saxophonist. After technical preparatory studies and music education at Skurups Folkhögskola, he played in various pop and dance bands. His interest in contemporary art music developed later in life, especially following an experience with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra at Berwaldhallen. He studied composition under Anders Nilsson at Birkagårdens Folkhögskola and Jan Sandström at Piteå Musikhögskola between 1996 and 2006.

Ramström has composed music for symphony orchestras, solo instruments, electroacoustic works, art installations, and film. He has also directed and produced his own films, including the award-winning experimental film Tack, which received the prize for Best Experimental Film at the Umeå International Film Festival.

In the film world, Ramström composed the music for the documentary Sara – med allt sitt väsen (Sara – With All Her Being), directed by Gunilla Bresky. For this work, he was nominated for a Guldbagge Award in 2019 for Best Music and was awarded the European music prize The Camille Awards in the category of Best Orchestral Music, making him the first Swedish composer to receive this honor.