Daníel Bjarnason

Daníel Bjarnason (born 26 February 1979^[1]) is a composer and conductor from Iceland. Bjarnason studied composition, piano and conducting in Reykjavik, before going on to further study orchestral conducting at the University of Music, Freiburg.^[2] He has had a number of works commissioned and debuted by Los Angeles Philharmonic.^[3][4][5]

He has garnered widespread acclaim for his debut album, Processions (2010), with Time Out NY declaring that Bjarnason "create(s) a sound that comes eerily close to defining classical music's undefinable brave new world."^[6]

Daníel Bjarnason is currently artist in residence with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra^[7] and composer in residence at the Muziekgebouw Frits Philips, Eindhoven.^[8] His versatility has given him the opportunity to collaborate with respected artists from many different genres, including Ben Frost,^[9]Sigur Ros^[10] and Brian Eno.^[11]

Various conductors have also performed Daníel's work; including Gustavo Dudamel,^[12] John Adams,^[13] André de Ridder,^[14] James Conlon^[15] Louis Langrée^[16] and Ilan Volkov^[17]

Recently, Bjarnason's work has included collaborations with the Los Angeles Philharmonic,^[18] Rambert Dance Company,^[19] Britten Sinfonia,^[20] Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra,^[21] So Percussion^[22] and the Calder Quartet.^[23] In August 2017, he will act as a co-curator, composer and conductor at the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Reykjavik Festival.^[24]

Awards

Daníel Bjarnason has won numerous awards at the Icelandic Music Awards, including Song Of The Year (2015) for Ek ken di nag ^[25] and Composer of the Year, 2013 for his works The Isle Is Full of Noises and Over Light Earth.^[26][27] Over Light Earth (2013) won the Icelandic Music Award for the best classical CD of the year in 2013.^[28] Also in 2013, he and Ben Frost won the Edda Award for best soundtrack for their score to film The Deep, directed by Baltasar Kormákur.^[29] In 2010, Bjarnason was nominated for the prestigious Nordic Council’s Music Prize, and won the Kraumur Music Award.^[30] Daníel has also been awarded a grant from the Kristján Eldjárn Memorial Fund.^[28]

Discography

Albums

• Processions (2010) — Bedroom Community
• Sólaris (2011) — Bedroom Community
• Over Light Earth (2013) — Bedroom Community
• Djúpið (2017) — Bedroom Community

Works

Solo/Small Chamber

• 5 Chinese Poems (2001)
• 4 Seasons Of Yosa Buson (2003)
• Skelja (2006)
• Fanfare For Harpa (2011)
• Four Anachronisms (2012)
• Qui Tollis (2013)
• Ek Ken Die Nag (2014)
• Stillshot (2015)

Ensemble/Chamber Orchestra

• All Sounds To Silence Come (2007)
• Over Light Earth (2012)

Orchestra

• Emergence (2011)
• Blow Bright (2013)
• Collider (2015)

Solo With Ensemble/Orchestra

• Solitudes (2003)
• Sleep Variations (2005)
• Processions (2009)
• Bow To String (2010)
• Sólaris (2011)

Chorus

• Enn Fagnar Heimur (2011)
• Ek Ken Die Nag (2014)

Chorus & Orchestra

• The Isle Is Full Of Noises (2012)

Solo Voice With Ensemble

• Larkin Songs (2010)

Film Scores

• Reykjavik Guesthouse (2003)
• Come To Harm (2011)
• The Deep (2012)

Music For Dance

• Smáljón í Sjónmáli (2011)
• Frames - Alexander Whitley/Rambert

Collaborations

• Efterklang (Arranging for and performing in live project "Efterklang, Daníel Bjarnason and their Messing Orchestra")
• Ben Frost (Sólaris, The Deep)
• fr:Olivia Pedroli (Arranging for and appearing on albums "The Den" & "A Thin Line")
• Ólöf Arnalds (Arrangements on albums "Við og við" and "Innundir Skinni")
• Hjaltalín (Arranging for and performing in live project "Alpanon" with Iceland Symphony Orchestra)
• Sigur Rós (Arrangements on albums "Valtari" and "Kveikur")

References