Kaare Kristian Nygaard met the Australian pianist and composer Percy Grainger (1882 1961) for the first time in 1913 in Lillehammer, Norway. Ten years old Kaare was given permission to attend a Grainger concert held in the Bank theater there because of his dedication to practicing the piano.  The concert made a strong impression on the boy, already interested in music.  By chance the two met again in the United States thirty years later.

Archival materials left by Nyggard contain much by and about Percy Grainger. Nygaard collected information about him, his concerts, and the Grainger museum in Melbourne Australia.  The archive also contains letters that the two exchanged.

These show a close relationship between the two families who by chance came to live near one  other in White Plains New York.  Their first meeting in the USA took place after a concert in Carnegie Hall in New York City in 1941.  The most important connection and the reason for the close contact was likely owing to the fact that Nygaard was Graingers doctor when his prostate cancer was detected in 1953, this being Nygaards field of medical expertise.

Nygaard was more than an ordinary friend to Grainger.  He was his confidant in various matters.  Grainger was by many measures a unique person.  In addition to being a remarkable composer and musician, he was a linguist genius. For example, he taught himself Old Norsk.  In addition, he was a practicing sadomasochist, something he never sought to alter.

Graingers  connections to Norway were many. He was an admirer of Edvard Griegs music which always was included in his performance repetoire.  And he contributed to arrangements for transporting archival materials about Grieg from the USA to Norway.  When the opportunity presented itself, he played Griegs music for Edvard Grieg himself which Grieg greatly appreciated.  His reaction, brilliant interpretation.

Source:
Eidsvåg, Inge, Henders gjerning, Lillehammer, Norway 1993.