Åke Parmerud is an artist with a global presence in contemporary music and media art. In addition to his electroacoustic and instrumental music, his body of work encompasses compositions that span a wide cross-section of modern experimental music in areas such as dance, film, interactive art, multimedia, theater, and video. He regularly receives commissions to compose works for international institutions, and in 1997, his piece "Grains of Voices" was performed at the United Nations in New York on United Nations Day. His music has been released on eight solo albums and in several compilation albums. Åke Parmerud is also a stage artist and performs concerts with interactive instruments, often as a soloist. In 1998, he was appointed a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. With a background in photography, he continued his studies in music at the University of Gothenburg and later at the Gothenburg University College of Music. Since his work "Proximities" won first prize at the international electroacoustic music festival in Bourges, France in 1978, he has received 17 international awards and three major Swedish distinctions. On two occasions, he has been awarded the Swedish Grammy for Best Classical Album of the Year, and his music has represented Swedish Radio twice at the Prix Italia, as well as being nominated for the Nordic Council's major music prize.