Agathe Backer-Grøndahl (1 December 1847 – 4 June 1907) was a Norwegian pianist and composer.


She was born in Holmestrand, but in 1857 moved with her family to Oslo, where she studied with Otto Winther-Hjelm, Halfdan Kjerulf and Ludvig Mathias Lindeman.
From 1865 she studied in Berlin, where she won fame with her interpretation of Beethoven's Fifth Piano Concerto. Later she studied with Hans von Bülow in Florence, and Franz Liszt in Weimar in 1873. She married the conductor Olams Andreas Grøndahl in 1875, and was generally known thereafter as Agathe Backer-Grøndahl.

Backer-Grøndahl composed in total some 400 pieces spanning seventy opus numbers, and was a prominent character on the Norwegian musical scene; she was a close friend of Edvard Grieg. Later in life she became almost completely deaf, and was forced to give up her career as a performing artist.

Agathe Backer-Grøndahl died in Oslo at the age of 59. She is chiefly remembered for her piano pieces and songs.

Her sister was Harriet Backer, the famous painter.



Songs
3 Songs, Op. 1, 1868–9
5 Songs, Op. 2, 1871
5 Songs, Op. 3, 1870–73
7 Songs, Op. 4, 1869–74
4 Songs, Op. 5, 1871–2
6 Songs, Op. 6, 1867–71
Summer Life, 4 Songs, Op. 7
5 Songs, Op. 8, 1871–6
6 Songs, Op. 9, 1871–9
4 Songs, Op. 10, 1871–5
5 Songs, Op. 12, 1879
5 Songs, Op. 13, 1881
6 deutsche Lieder, Op. 14
6 Songs, Op. 16
Songs at Sea, Op. 17, 1884
7 Folkeviser og Romanser, Op. 18
Serenade, Op. 21, 1888
5 Songs, Op. 23, 1888
6 Songs, Op. 26, 1890
6 Songs, Op. 27 1890
Chant de Noces: Bryllupsmorgen, Op. 28, 1890
10 Songs, Op. 29, 1892
10 Songs, Op. 31, 1894
Norske folkeviser, arrangements, Op. 34, 1894
The Night is Calm, Old Folks Waltz, Op. 40, 1897
5 Songs, Op. 41, 1897
The Child's Spring Day, song cycle, Op. 42, 1899
8 kjaempeviser, Op. 43, 1896–7
20 folke- og skjaemteviser, Op. 43, 1896–7
5 Songs, Op. 46, 1897–9
2 Sange fra havet, Op. 48
3 Sange i moll, Op. 49
Sommer (Jynge), 8 songs, Op. 50, 1899
12 folkeviser og melodier fra fremmede lande, Op. 51, 1902
The Mother Sings, 8 songs, Op. 52, 1900
Sydover 6 songs, Op. 54, 1900
Ahasverus, 6 songs, Op. 56, 1900
6 deutsche Liebeslieder aus der Jugend, Op. 60, 1869–1900
Clover Field, Op. 62, 1901
4 Songs, Op. 65, 1901–4
One more Glimpse, Op. 70, 1907

Piano solo
6 concert-etuder, Op. 11 (1881)
3 morceaux, Op. 15 (1882)
4 skizzer, Op. 19 (1886);
Suite, 5 movts, Op. 20 (1887)
3 études, Op. 22 (1888)
6 idylles, Op. 24 (1888)
3 klaverstykker, Op. 25 (1890)
Norske folkeviser og folkedanse, Op. 30 (1891)
3 études de concert, Op. 32 (Copenhagen, 1895)
Norske folkeviser og folkedanse, Op. 33 (1894)
3 klaverstykker, Op. 35 (1894)
Fantasistykker, Op. 36 (1895)
Serenade, Op. 37 (1896)
3 ungarske studier, Op. 38 (1896)
Fantasistykker, Op. 39 (1896)
In the Blue Mountain, fairytale suite, 6 pieces, Op. 44 (1897)
Fantasistykker, Op. 45 (1897)
Etudes de concert, Op. 47 (Copenhagen, 1901)
3 klaverstykker, Op. 53 (1900)
Smaa fantasistykker, Op. 55 (1902)
Etudes de concert, Op. 57 (Copenhagen, 1903)
Concert-études, Op. 58 (Copenhagen, 1903)
6 klaverstykker, Op. 59 (1903)
Prélude, Op.61, No. 1, Grand menuet, Op.61, No. 2 (Copenhagen, 1904)
Lettere fantasistykker, Op. 63 (Copenhagen, 1904)
Danse burlesque, Op.64, No. 1, Valse caprice, Op.64, No. 2 (1905)
Barnlige Billeder [Children Pictures], 6 fantasias, Op. 66 (1905)
2 klaverstykker, Op. 68 (1907)
3 klaverstykker, Op. 69 (1907)

Discography
Kirsten Flagstad-Songs (1994)
Kirsten Flagstad Early Recordings 1914-1941 (1995)
The Danish Nightingale (1995)
Polish Frijsh-The Complete Recordings (1995)
Women Composers (1996)
Women's Voices: 5 Centuries of Song (1997)
Norsk Romances (2000)
Bravourisimo/Wiener Boheme Quartett (2000)
Agathe Backer Grøndahl (2000)
Agathe Backer Grøndahl: Piano Music (2001)
Norwegian Classical Favorites (2004)
Women's Work: Solo Piano Music (2006)
Noel (2006)