Pettersson received a grounding in the folk music of his native Sweden from his mother. He attended the Stockholm Conservatory where his instruments were viola and violin. He later began to study counterpoint. After a short period of study in Paris via the Jenny Lind Scholarship, Pettersson played viola in The Stockholm PO, and made his compositional debut in 1949 with his Concerto for violin and string quartet, both of which were poorly received. He returned to Paris to study 12-tone composition and, suffering from arthritis, abandoned his performing career to concentrate on composition. In 1968 his Symphony no. 7 brought him recognition, and this work became widely popular after it was recorded in 1972. Subsequent symphonies brought him continued success. Pettersson's music is marked by both dissonant, complex and explosive passages as well as simple sections born of his roots in folk music. The feeling tone of his work is one of compassion toward the persecuted and the outsider. ~ Lynn Vought, All Music Guide