Anna S. Þorvaldsdóttir facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Anna Thorvaldsdottir
Nordic Council Music Prize 2012
Background information
Native name	Anna Sigríður Þorvaldsdóttir
Born	July 11, 1977 Iceland
Occupation(s)	Composer
Associated acts	Iceland Symphony Orchestra

Anna Sigríður Þorvaldsdóttir, also known as Anna Thorvaldsdottir, is a famous composer from Iceland. She was born on July 11, 1977. Many people consider her one of Iceland's best composers. In 2012, she won the Nordic Council Music Prize. Anna's music is played a lot in Europe and the United States. Her compositions often get their ideas from nature and landscapes.

Early Life and Learning

Anna Thorvaldsdottir started playing the cello when she was young. She also began writing music at an early age. She studied how to compose music at the Iceland Academy of the Arts. Later, she continued her studies at the University of California, San Diego. There, she earned her master's and doctorate degrees.

Anna's Music Career

Anna Thorvaldsdottir has been asked to write music for many famous groups. These include the Berliner Philharmoniker and the New York Philharmonic. She has also worked with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Orchestre de Paris. Other groups include the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra.

Her music has been featured in special concerts and festivals. These events took place at places like Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art. Her work was also heard at Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival in New York City.

Anna has also shared her knowledge as a teacher. She has given talks at top universities like Stanford and Columbia. She also taught at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

Currently, Anna Thorvaldsdottir is a composer-in-residence with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. This means she works closely with them to create new music. She lives in Surrey, UK, which is close to London.

Important Orchestra Music

Anna Thorvaldsdottir is known for her fresh and new ways of writing for orchestras.

Dreaming (2008) is one of her well-known pieces. It won her the 2012 Nordic Council Music Prize. The Iceland Symphony Orchestra first performed it in 2010.

AERIALITY (2011) helped make Anna's music popular in America. The Iceland Symphony Orchestra asked her to write this piece. It was first played in November 2011. Music critics praised it as one of the best recordings in 2014.

The New York Philharmonic gave Anna their Kravis Emerging Composer Award. This award included money and a request to write a new piece. This led to METACOSMOS (2017). The New York Philharmonic first played it in 2018. This piece helped show that Anna is a unique and expressive composer.

AIŌN (2018) was created for the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra. It was first played in Sweden in 2019. It later had its first performance in the US in 2022.

CATAMORPHOSIS (2020) was first played by the Berlin Philharmonic in 2021. This piece also won the UK's Ivors Composer Award in 2021.

ARCHORA (2022) was asked for by the BBC Proms. It was first played by the BBC Philharmonic in London in 2022.

Awards and Honors

Anna Thorvaldsdottir has received many important awards:

• In 2024, she won the Chanel Next Prize.
• Her piece CATAMORPHOSIS won the UK's Ivors Composer Award in 2021. This was for a large-scale composition.
• In 2018, she received the Lincoln Center’s Emerging Artist Award. She also won the Martin E. Segal Award that year.
• In 2015, the New York Philharmonic chose her as their Kravis Emerging Composer. This honor included a $50,000 prize. It also meant she would write a new piece for the orchestra.
• Anna Thorvaldsdottir won the 2012 Nordic Council Music Prize for her orchestra work Dreaming. This piece was part of her album Rhízōma.

Selected Music Works

Here are some of Anna Thorvaldsdottir's important musical works:

Orchestra Music

• METAXIS (2023)
• ARCHORA (2022)
• CATAMORPHOSIS (2020)
• AIŌN (2018)
• METACOSMOS (2017)
• AERIALITY (2011)
• Dreaming (2008)

Chamber Music

• Enigma (2019), for string quartet
• Spectra (2017), for violin, viola, and cello
• Illumine (2016), for string octet
• Aequilibria (2014), for a large group of instruments
• In the Light of Air (2014), for percussion, harp, piano, viola, cello, and electronics
• Ró (2013), for bass flute, bass clarinet, percussion, piano, two violins, viola, cello
• aura (2011), for three percussion players
• Hrím (2010), for a large group of instruments

Choral Music

• Ad Genua (2016), for choir and string quintet
• Heyr þú oss himnum á (2005)
• Hey mig mín sál (2003)

Selected Recordings

• Aerial (2022)
• ENIGMA (2021)
• Rhizoma (2020)
• AEQUA (2018)
• In the Light of Air (2015)