Gertrud Maria Mell

(born in Ed, 1947, resident Gothenburg/Sweden), is a Swedish composer, sea captain, organist and choir director. She studied instrumentation and orchestral conducting at the Malmö Academy of Music in 1965-67, graduated as an organist in 1967 and graduated as Ped church cantor in 1968. After this she turned to different studies in maritime shipping and graduated with a skipper degree in 1971, mate degree in 1979, ship mechanics degree in 1979, and eventually as sea captain degree in 1981. She worked as an organist in Töftedal 1967-1976, music pedagogue in Ed and Bengstfors from 1969-1976. She founded and directed four different choirs and 2 orchestras and has also worked as a vocal pedagogue. She has been the musician of the parish in the Pater Noster church in Gothernburg since 1982. As a composer she has been writing since 1961. She has composed four symphonies, string quartet, chamber music, pieces for choir, piano and organ works, symphonic poems as well as pop and dance music.
Selected works: Dalslandssången for pf/org.
Selected recordings: Mell, 1971; Mermaid, 77.
Awards, selection: 2003, The westen region of Sweden culture prize.