He was born in
Kristiania to
David Monrad Johansen and Amunda Holmsen, with the family later moving to
Bærum where Kvandal died. He took his studies in conducting and organ at
Oslo Conservatory, and studied composition from Marx at the Hochschule für Musik, Vienna, and Boulanger in Paris. He served as a music critic for the Oslo newspapers
Morgenposten and
Aftenposten, and as organist of the Vålenengen Church in Oslo. Many of his works utilize folk elements. Among his compositions are '
from 1951, ' for a television drama series from 1968, '
from 1974, and ' from 1984. His opera '''', with libretto based on
Hamsun's novel, was staged at
Den Norske Opera in 1994. He was married twice, first to Maria Teresia Unterrainer (from 1951), and from 1976 to
Lilleba Lund. ==References==