Anna S. Þorvaldsdóttir

Who is Anna S. Þorvaldsdóttir?

Anna S. Þorvaldsdóttir is an Icelandic composer and 2012 winner of the Nordic Council Music Prize.

Anna studied composition at the University of California, San Diego, gaining her MA and PhD. Her music is frequently performed in Europe and in the United States.

The Iceland Symphony Orchestra has premiered and recorded four of Thorvaldsdottir's orchestra pieces, conducted by Ilan Volkov, Christian Lindberg, Rumon Gamba, Daníel Bjarnason, and Bernhardur Wilkinson. The Icelandic CAPUT Ensemble has also premiered and recorded major works by her, conducted by Snorri Sigfus Birgisson. Other ensembles that she has worked with include e.g. BIT20 Ensemble, Musiques Nouvelles, and the International Contemporary Ensemble. Thorvaldsdottir's orchestra work AERIALITY was commissioned by the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and premiered in November 2011, conducted by Ilan Volkov.

Anna was awarded the 2012 Nordic Council Music Prize for her orchestral work Dreaming, one of the pieces on her album Rhízōma which was released on 25 October 2011 on the American label Innova Recordings.