Johan Severin Svendsen (September 30, 1840 – June 14, 1911) was a notable Norwegian composer, conductor, and violinist born in Christiania (now Oslo), Norway. He spent most of his life in Copenhagen, Denmark, where he gained recognition for his impressive work, including two symphonies, a violin concerto, a cello concerto, and various Norwegian Rhapsodies for orchestra. Svendsen had a close friendship with the renowned German composer Richard Wagner and the Icelandic composer Sveinbjörn Sveinbjörnsson, further elevating his status in the classical music community.

Svendsen began his musical career following in his father's footsteps as a military musician in Kristiania. While his friend Edvard Grieg completed his studies at the Leipzig Conservatory at the age of 19, Svendsen entered the institution at 23. Shifting his focus from the violin to composition and conducting, he leveraged his experience as a versatile, practical musician, achieving early success with chamber works and his First Symphony. Known for his mastery of large forms and brilliant orchestration, Svendsen's compositional output dwindled about a decade after his studies in Leipzig; however, he maintained a distinguished career as an internationally recognized conductor. His reputation was so significant that 1898 he received invitations to become the musical director of the Metropolitan Opera and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.