Anna Thorvaldsdottir (b. 1977) is one of Iceland’s most celebrated composers, internationally acclaimed for her immersive orchestral soundscapes shaped by landscapes, nature, and a deep sense of atmosphere. Her music, often described as expansive and elemental, has been commissioned and performed by some of the world’s leading orchestras and ensembles, including the Berliner Philharmoniker, New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, and BBC Philharmonic.

Originally trained as a cellist, Thorvaldsdottir studied composition at the Iceland Academy of the Arts, and later earned her MA and PhD from the University of California, San Diego. She is currently composer-in-residence with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and is based in Surrey, UK.

Her major orchestral works include Dreaming (2010), which earned her the Nordic Council Music Prize in 2012; AERIALITY (2011), which brought her international attention; METACOSMOS (2017), premiered by Esa-Pekka Salonen and the New York Philharmonic; and CATAMORPHOSIS (2020), commissioned by the Berlin Philharmonic and awarded the Ivors Composer Award in 2021.

Thorvaldsdottir’s music has been featured at leading venues and festivals such as the BBC Proms, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and Big Ears Festival, and she has been the subject of portrait concerts around the world. She has also held guest lectures and presentations at institutions including Stanford, Columbia, Cornell, Sibelius Academy, and the Royal Academy of Music.

Her work continues to shape the global contemporary classical scene with its profound sense of time, space, and sonic imagination.
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