Daníel Bjarnason

This is an Icelandic name. The last name is patronymic, not a family name; this person is referred to by the given name Daníel.
Daníel Bjarnason
Born (1979-02-26) 26 February 1979 (age 45)
Iceland
GenresClassical, experimental
Occupations
  • Composer
  • conductor
LabelsBedroom Community
Websitewww.danielbjarnason.com

Daníel Bjarnason (born 26 February 1979) is an Icelandic composer and conductor. He has garnered widespread acclaim for his debut album, Processions (2010), with TimeOut NY writing he "create(s) a sound that comes eerily close to defining classical music's undefinable brave new world".[1]

Life and career

Born on 26 February 1979,[2] Daníel studied composition, piano and conducting in Reykjavik, before going on to further study orchestral conducting at the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg.[3] He has had a number of works commissioned and debuted by Los Angeles Philharmonic.[4][5][6]

Daníel is currently composer-in-residence at the Muziekgebouw Frits Philips, Eindhoven, Netherlands[7] and was artist-in-residence with Iceland Symphony Orchestra from 2015 to 2018. He has also collaborated with artists from many different genres, including Ben Frost,[8] Sigur Rós[9] and Brian Eno.[10]

Various conductors have also performed Daníel's work, including Gustavo Dudamel,[11] John Adams,[12] André de Ridder,[13] James Conlon,[14] Louis Langrée[15] and Ilan Volkov.[16]

Daníel's recent work has included collaborations with the Los Angeles Philharmonic,[17] Rambert Dance Company,[18] Britten Sinfonia,[19] Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra,[20] So Percussion[21] and the Calder Quartet.[22] In August 2017, he acted as a co-curator, composer and conductor at the Los Angeles Philharmonic's Reykjavik Festival.[23]

Awards

Daníel has won numerous awards at the Icelandic Music Awards, including Song of the Year (2015) for "Ek ken di nag"[24] and Composer of the Year, 2013 for his works The Isle Is Full of Noises and Over Light Earth.[25][26] Over Light Earth (2013) won the Icelandic Music Award for the best classical CD of the year in 2013.[27] 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.[28] In 2010, Daníel nominated for the prestigious Nordic Council's Music Prize, and won the Kraumur Music Award.[29] Daníel has also been awarded a grant from the Kristján Eldjárn Memorial Fund.[27]

Discography

Albums

  • Processions (2010) – Bedroom Community
  • Sólaris (with Ben Frost) (2011) – Bedroom Community
  • Over Light Earth (2013) – Bedroom Community
  • Djúpið (2017) – Bedroom Community

Works

Solo and small chamber works

  • 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 and chamber orchestra

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

Orchestra

Solo with ensemble/orchestra

  • Solitudes (2003)
  • Sleep Variations (2005)
  • Processions (2009)
  • Bow to String (2010)
  • Sólaris (2011)
  • The Bells (2021)

Chorus

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

Chorus and orchestra

  • The Isle Is Full of Noises (2012)

Solo voice with ensemble

  • Larkin Songs (2010)

Operas

  • Brothers (2017)

Film scores

  • Reykjavik Guesthouse (2003)
  • Come To Harm (2011)
  • The Deep (2012)
  • Under The Tree (2017)

Music for dance

  • Smáljón í Sjónmáli (2011)
  • Frames – Alexander Whitley/Rambert (2015)

Collaborations

  • Efterklang (Arranging for and performing in live project "Efterklang, Daníel Bjarnason and their Messing Orchestra")
  • Ben Frost (Sólaris, The Deep)
  • Olivia Pedroli [fr] (Arranging for and appearing on albums The Den and 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

  1. ^ Olivia Giovetti (1 March 2010). "Q&A with Danel Bjarnason: Yes, he really can just call up Björk". Time Out New York. Archived from the original on 25 March 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  2. ^ "Daníel Bjarnason: Bow to String". Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Archived from the original on 26 December 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  3. ^ grapevine.is (12 September 2013). "Daníel Bjarnason – The Reykjavik Grapevine". grapevine.is. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  4. ^ "Bow to String (U.S. premiere)". Los Angeles Philharmonic. Archived from the original on 28 January 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  5. ^ "L.A. Philharmonic fills new season with premieres". The Orange County Register. 26 February 2013.
  6. ^ "Artist « TodaysArt | Festival 2012". Archived from the original on 5 July 2013. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
  7. ^ "Composer in residence". Muziekgebouw Frits Philips. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  8. ^ "Daniel Bjarnason and Ben Frost: A soundtrack to Solaris". residentadvisor.net. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  9. ^ "Daníel Bjarnason to arrange Sigur Rós". icelandmusic.is. 8 August 2011. Archived from the original on 4 February 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  10. ^ "Ben Frost & Daníel Bjarnason: Music for Sólaris". Barbican Centre. Archived from the original on 17 March 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  11. ^ "Gustavo Dudamel Conducts La Phil in Bjarnason World Premiere and Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 with Yuja Wang". gustavodudamel.com. Archived from the original on 25 March 2020. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  12. ^ "John Adams Leads the La Phil New Music Group in a Green Umbrella Program Featuring Premiers by Daníel Bjarnason and Nico Muhly". laphil.com. Archived from the original on 4 February 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  13. ^ "Bedroom Comunity at Iceland Airwaves". sinfonia.is. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  14. ^ "Daníel og Debussy". tix.is. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  15. ^ "Louis Langrée". Mostly Mozart Festival. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  16. ^ "About the Orchestra". sinfonia.is. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  17. ^ "Daníel Bjarnason". laphil.com. Archived from the original on 4 February 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  18. ^ "Frames". rambert.org.uk. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  19. ^ "Debussy, Donatoni & Bjarnason". Britten Sinfonia. Archived from the original on 11 August 2020. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  20. ^ "Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Pops announce Major International Tours in 2017". cincinnatisymphony.org. Archived from the original on 4 February 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  21. ^ "Daníel Bjarnason". The Icelandic Opera. Archived from the original on 10 July 2019. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  22. ^ "Release: Calder Quartet Performs Beethoven, Janáček, Bjarnason, and Norman – ArtPower". artpower.ucsd.edu. 17 December 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  23. ^ "Reykjavík Festival". laphil.com. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  24. ^ "Icelandic Music Awards Winners 2015". icelandmusic.is. 22 February 2015. Archived from the original on 27 January 2018. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  25. ^ "Daníel Bjarnason – Ísmús". ismus.is. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  26. ^ "Chosen One: Daníel Bjarnason". fracturedair.com. 5 December 2013. Archived from the original on 6 December 2013. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  27. ^ a b "Daníel Bjarnason new Artist-in-residence". sinfonia.is. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  28. ^ Review, Iceland (18 February 2013). "The Deep Wins 11 Edda Awards". icelandreview.com. Retrieved 8 February 2017.[permanent dead link‍]
  29. ^ "Daníel Bjarnason". icelandmusic.is. Archived from the original on 3 February 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2017.