Palmgren studied at the Helsinki Conservatory in 1895 and with Ferrucio Busoni in Germany (1899–1901). In 1909 he became conductor at Turku, Fin., where he produced his opera Daniel Hjort (in Swedish, 1910; revised in 1929 for performance in Finnish). Palmgren toured widely as a pianist and as accompanist to his wife, the singer Maikki Pakarinen. He taught at the Eastman School of Music, Rochester, N.Y. (1923–26), became a music critic in Helsinki, and taught composition at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki (1939–51). Palmgren is best known for his small piano pieces, among them the “Finnish Lyric Pieces,” inspired by folk songs. In his larger piano works, notably his five piano concerti, he was influenced by Franz Liszt.