“The pianist and the composer Stefan Nilsson fell asleep on Thursday after a period of illness. He passed away peacefully at his home with his immediate family present. Stefan suffered from the incurable disease ALS,” the family writes in a press release.
Was sick with ALS
Stefan Nilsson was born Kukasjärvi in Hietaniemi in Norrbotten, but moved to Stockholm as a young man to study piano at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm, among others with Gunnar Hallhagen.
Nilsson had a rich and varied musical career both as an arranger and pianist. He played in the jazz band Kornet, and began collaboration with Tommy Körberg and Björn Afzelius. In the early 80s, he began composing film music and in 1998 received a Guldbagge for creative efforts in Swedish film. He has written music for many Swedish films, including “Gabriella’s song” in “Så som i himmelen.”
The news about ALS came in March, which led to old colleagues like Helen Sjöholm, Benny Andersson and Tommy Körberg arranged a tribute concert while he was well enough to participate. “Music for life” on May 8 in the Filadelfia church in Stockholm was Stefan Nilsson’s last concert at the grand piano.
