Per August Ölander was born in Linköping on 8 January 1824. He was a composer, violinist, writer, and critic, all on the side of his official career. He was employed as a civil servant by the Swedish Customs Service in 1847 and advanced to the position of controller in 1867. Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music from 1864. His musical production consists of works in a variety of genres, including a symphony and an opera. Ölander died on 3 August 1886 in Stockholm. He composed his four-act opera Blenda after the play by Ludwig Josephson and Ernst Wallmark. Here, the opera is performed by the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Choir under the direction of Michael Bartosch, and features soprano Karin Ingeback in the title role.