Paula af Malmborg Ward (b. 1962, Stockholm) is one of Sweden’s leading opera composers, known for her distinctive voice and genre-crossing versatility. Her graduation work, Bombpartyt, premiered at the Gothenburg Opera in 1998 and marked a major breakthrough, firmly establishing her in the world of opera. An earlier setting of the final scene from Of Mice and Men had already pointed her in that direction.
With roots in both classical and popular music, af Malmborg Ward studied piano with Professor Gunnar Hallhagen and trained as a music teacher at the Stockholm Academy of Music, where she also developed a deep interest in salsa—a genre then relatively unknown in Sweden. Her career has included work in theatre, television, ensemble performance, and music education. Following a period as conductor at Skottes Musikteater in Gävle, she continued her studies in composition at the Malmö Academy of Music under Hans Gefors.
Her music is known for its spirited energy, rich textures, and playful wit. She describes time and timing as the core of her compositional process: “If I find the right sense of time, I can then wallow in melody, harmony, timbre, and rhythm without losing my grip on the whole.”
Tony Lundman, May 2004