About

Arngerður María Árnadóttir

Biography

Arngerður María Árnadóttir has been singing and playing the piano from the age of two. She finished her Bachelor degree in Music from the University of Aalborg, Denmark in year 2000 and a degree as an organist and church musician in Reykjavík, Iceland in 2007. In addition to that she finished a Master degree in composition at the Icelandic University of the Arts in 2021.

Arngerður has always been interested in all kinds of music and has taken on various jobs over the years, for example as a producer and a technician at the Icelandic National Radio, a choir singer, a piano teacher, project manager, accompanist and choir conductor. Her main profession for the last years has been organist and musical director at one of the churches of Reykjavík, Laugarneskirkja but in year 2019 she decided to focus more on composition among with other creative projects. Today she is a freelance performer, composer, organist and choir conductor.

Arngerður has been active as a composer since 2017 and has mainly been writing for choir, string quartet and chamber orchestra. She has as well composed some music for the ensemble Umbra, which she is a member of. Umbra is a group of four women who all are professional musicians and focus on medieval music and the icelandic folkheritage. They have published four critically acclaimed albums and received the Icelandic Music Awards 2018 for the best album in the folkmusic genre.

Compositions

Choir

  • Í svörtum himingeimi, 2017. Poem by Davíð Þór Jónsson – premiered by Mótettukór Hallgrímskirkju in August 2017
  • Jólasálmur, 2018. Poem by Davíð Þór Jónsson – premiered by Söngsveitin Fílharmónía in December 2018
  • Vorljóð um Ísland, 2018. Poem by Aðalsteinn Ásberg Sigurðsson
  • Gef mér, 2019. Poem by sr. Svavar Alfreð Jónsson – Written for Kór Akureyarkirkju, premiered in March 2019
  • Ave María, 2020. Commissioned by Dómkórinn í Reykjavík.
  • Heyr þú sem hugann upplýsir, 2022. Commisioned by Kór Möðurvallakirkju.

Vocal

  • Nútið, 2017. Poem by Aðalsteinn Ásberg Sigurðsson
  • Fæðing ljóssins, 2017. Poem by Aðalsteinn Ásberg Sigurðsson

Chamber works

  • String quartet no. 1, 2017
  • Immanúel oss í nátt, 2017 – Written for Umbra. Premiered in December 2017
  • Sól ek sá, 2018 – for soprano, flute, bass clarinet and guitar. Premiered by Stirni ensemble in April 2019. Recorded by Stirni ensemble in 2021
  • Vetur I og II, 2018 – for flute, oboe, clarinet, french horn, violin, viola, cello and percussion
  • Skuggar, 2018 – Piano quintet
  • Húmar að mitt hinsta kvöld, 2018 – Written for Umbra
  • String quartet no. 2, 2019 – premiered by Strokkvartettinn Siggi in September 2019
  • Blóðvökvar burt takist, 2020 – Written for Umbra. Premiered in June 2021
  • Þá, 2020 – Written for Umbra. Premiered by Umbra in February 2020
  • Pange lingue – Commissioned by Grímur Helgason. For mezzo soprano, violin, clarinet, bassoon and organ. Premiered in April 2021
  • BROT – Graduation piece from the Iceland University of the Arts. Premiered by Caput ensemble 1st of May 2021
  • Gekk ég í gljúfrið dökkva – Commisioned by Voces Thules. Premiered by Voces Thules in April 2022

Film and TV

  • Ark – short film
  • Snorri – animated short film

 

Organ

  • Postludium in C, 2019 – Commissioned by Sigrún Magna Þórsteinsdóttir. Premiered in June 2020
  • Birting – Commisioned by Guðný Einarsdóttir. Premiered in November 2022
  • Eyland – Commisioned by Guðný Einarsdóttir. Premiered in November 2022

Audio

Photos