Per Nørgård, born on July 13, 1932 in Gentofte, Denmark, was a composer and music theorist. He began playing piano as a boy and studied composition with Vagn Holmboe at age 17. His early compositions were influenced by Nordic styles, particularly those of Sibelius, Carl Nielsen, and Vagn Holmboe. In the 1960s, Nørgård developed a serial compositional system based on the "infinity series," which he used in works like Voyage into the Golden Screen and his Second and Third Symphonies. His Third Symphony was included in the Danish Culture Canon. He composed eight symphonies, six operas, two ballets, concertos, choral and vocal works, chamber music, and solo instrumental pieces. He has received several awards, including the 2016 Ernst von Siemens Music Prize. Nørgård died on May 28, 2025, at the age of 92.
