The Leipzig Conservatory attracted many music students from Northern Europe during the 19th century. Sweden is no exception. When looking at Swedish musicians who chose this city for their education, two groups stand out: The first one is a large number of music students who came to Leipzig directly after the Conservatory was founded and studied here during the 1840s and 1850s. The second is a smaller group which had more or less direct contacts with Leipzig and studied there in the 1860s and 1870s. After this period, prominent Swedish musicians and composers would no longer choose Leipzig but study music and composition either in their home country or in one of the European metropolises. 

This text gives an overview about four ‘generations’ of Swedish musicians and composers and their relation to Leipzig. The focus will be on the compositional, aesthetic and organizational influences which they received in Leipzig and how they implemented them into the Swedish music life. What becomes visible in this overview is that “Leipzig” not only meant a certain musical style for Swedish audiences but also implied an attitude towards music and music education that were imitated in the Swedish capital in the second half of the 19th century. Despite the strong influence of these Leipzig ideals Swedish musicians were not entirely uncritical towards the Leipzig music repertoire as it became manifest in the curricula and concerts.