Born on 21st August 1890 in Stockholm, died 17th March 1964. He was educated at the Schartau Commercial Institute in Stockholm in 1908-1909 (his father was a wholesale merchant) and studied musical subjects with Harald Fryklöf. He then continued his musical education in Germany in 1911 and in England in 1912. He was a very popular and respected music reviewer on Svenska Dagbladet 1917 1923, Nya Dagligt Allehanda 1923-1944, and Dagens Nyheter 1944-1947. Subsequently he was a sporadic contributor to Swedish and inter national journals.
William Seymer was a talented writer, mainly producing highly appreciated articles about his contemporary and younger colleagues. As a composer he was a poet of great sensibility, combining Scandinavian idyll with impressionist colouring. But, unusually, he had most in common with English impressionism (Scott, Bax, Goossens, Delius). He did best in his miniatures for piano: Strofer i sol och skugga, Skizzer and Sommarcroquiser Op.11, which includes Solöga, a piano evergreen which any Swede will recognise. There are also qualities of greatness about his Sonata pastorale for violin and piano. His output includes a number of orchestral works (Sinfonietta, the overture Vårspel and three suites), a piano trio and various songs. His compositions epitomise the Swedish summer. SJ