These noncommercial spoken word and music recordings concerning Scandinavia were collected under the auspices of the American-Scandinavian Foundation. Most of the spoken word recordings consist of panel discussions in English hosted by William Kennedy and Vernon Brooks. Topics of these programs include Swedish film, Danish ballet, and a discussion of the music of Harald Sæverud. Additional spoken word recordings include an interview with Anaïs Nin.
The music recordings feature Scandinavian performers as well as composers. Orchestral music is predominant, with a smaller representation of chamber and vocal music. Orchestras appearing in the collection include the Helsinki Philharmonic, Stockholm Philharmonic, Musikselskabet "Harmonien" (Bergen, Norway), Statsradiofoniens symfoniorkester (Copenhagen), and the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra. Conductors include Herbert Blomstedt, Sixten Ehrling, Carl Garaguly, and Harald Sæverud. Soloists for orchestral and chamber music performances include Gösta Björling, Holger Gilbert-Jespersen, Käbi Laretei, Anders Näslund, and Tore Westlund.
The most prominently represented composers in the collection are Hugo Alfvén, Sven Erik Beck, Niels Viggo Bentzon, Karl Birger Blomdahl, Klaus Egge, Edvard Grieg, Vagn Holmboe, Ludwig Irgens Jensen, Lars-Erik Larsson, Jón Leifs, Ingvar Lidholm, Leevi Antti Madetoja, Aarre Merikanto, Carl Nielsen, Knut Nystedt, Selim Palmgren, Ture Rangström, Hilding Rosenberg, Harald Sæverud, Jean Sibelius, Svend Erik Tarp, Geirr Tveitt, and Fartein Valen.
Alfvén, Hugo, 1872-1960. Composer
Beck, Sven Erik Beck. Composer
Bentzon, Niels Viggo, 1919-2000. Composer
Björling, Gösta, 1912-1957. Performer
Blomdahl, Karl Birger, 1916-1968. Composer
Blomstedt, Herbert, 1927- Conductor
Brooks, Vernon. Commentator
Egge, Klaus, 1906-1979. Composer
Ehrling, Sixten. Conductor
Garaguly, Carl. Conductor
Gilbert-Jespersen, Holger. Performer
Grieg, Edvard, 1843-1907. Composer
Holmboe, Vagn, 1909-1996. Composer
Jensen, Ludwig Irgens. Composer
Kennedy, W. (William) Commentator
Laretei, Käbi. Performer
Larsson, Lars-Erik, 1908-1986. Composer
Leifs, Jón, 1899-1968. Composer
Lidholm, Ingvar. Composer
Madetoja, Leevi, 1887-1947. Composer
Merikanto, Aarre, 1893-1958. Composer
Näslund, Anders, 1920-1974. Performer
Nielsen, Carl, 1865-1931. Composer
Nin, Anaïs, 1903-1977. Interviewee
Nystedt, Knut, 1915-2014. Composer
Palmgren, Selim, 1878-1951. Composer
Rangström, Ture, 1884-1947. Composer
Rosenberg, Hilding, 1892-1985. Composer
Sæverud, Harald, 1897-1992. Composer. Conductor
Sibelius, Jean, 1865-1957. Composer
Tarp, Svend Erik, 1908-1994. Composer
Tveitt, Geirr, 1908-1981. Composer
Valen, Fartein, 1887-1952. Composer
Westlund, Tore. Performer
Helsingin kaupunginorkesteri.
Konsertföreningens orkester (Stockholm, Sweden)
Musikselskabet "Harmonien" (Bergen, Norway)
Statsradiofoniens symfoniorkester (Copenhagen, Denmark)
Sveriges radios symfoniorkester.