TEACHERS 2023
Chrissie Telma Guðmundsdóttir
Artistic director
Chrissie Telma Guðmundsdóttir is the director and founder of the festival Fiðlufjör. Chrissie graduated from the Iceland Academy of the Arts with B.Mus degree with Auður Hafsteinsdóttir and Guðný Guðmundsdóttir as her teachers in 2014. She graduated with her M.M degree in violin performance in Arizona with prof. Danwen Jians as her teacher and mentor and now she is working on finishing her last studies of the Suzuki teacher degree with her former Suzuki violin teacher Lilja Hjaltadóttir
Chrissie has performed as a soloist with the Symphony of Iceland and the Amateur Symphony of Iceland.
She is a member of the violin group of Sinfonia Nord and performs regularly with the pianist Einar Bjartur all over Iceland and leads the string orchestra Icelandic strings.
Chrissie is also very active in the Icelandic music scene and has been a part of many different projects such as engagements, weddings, Eurovision, tv shows, music videos and movies.
Chrissie has for the past five years been working as a Suzuki teacher at Allegro Suzuki School, the New Music School in Reykjavík and the Music School in the South.
Helga Steinunn Torfadóttir
Violin teacher
Helga Steinunn began playing the violin at the age of 9 and studied with Lilja Hjaltadóttir at Akureyri Music School in the north 1985-90. She was a student of Bryndís Pálsdóttir and Guðný Guðmundsdóttir at the Reykjavík Music school 1990-95 from where she graduated with a teacher degree.
Helga Steinunn attended the Royal Danish Academy of Music from 1995-1998 as a student of Elisabeth Zeuthen Schneider. She has trained as a Suzuki teacher with Tove Detreköy, Lilja Hjaltadóttir and Jaenne Janssens and finished her 5th Suzuki level in 2009. Helga Steinunn has been teaching the violin from 1992 in Iceland and Denmark.
Helga Steinunn has been very active in the Icelandic music scene and has performed with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and the Icelandic opera. She teaches at the Allegro Suzuki school and the Reykjavík Suzuki school.
Sólrún Gunnarsdóttir
Violin teacher
Sólrún started her violin studies as a Suzuki student with Ásdís Þorsteinsdóttir Stross when she was six years old. She graduated from the Reykjavík Music School in 2007 under the guidance of Auður Hafsteinsdóttir. From there she went to London to Trinity College of Music, where her teacher was Gina McCormack.
After receiving a scholarship from the school, she graduated with a MMus degree in 2009. Sólrún has done many things in her music career, including the premiere of a violin concerto by Hildigunnur Rúnarsdóttir with the Young People's Symphony Orchestra. She has also played music in a variety of styles, be it baroque or modern music, jazz, folk songs, rock or hip hop.
Sólrún is currently a violin teacher, as well as teaching musicology, music history and music improvisation, at the Suzuki Music School in Reykjavík and Landakotsskóli. She has completed three levels of Suzuki teaching and is in ongoing teacher training under the guidance of Lilja Hjaltadóttir.
Aðalheiður Matthíasdóttir
Violin teacher
Aðalheiður
GUEST TEACHERS 2023
Jan Matthiassen
Guest teacher from Denmark - Violin teacher
Jan M
Dr. Ayisha de Sandino
Guest teacher from America - Violin teacher
Violinist Ayisha de Sandino is a violin professor at Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA, at both the college and preparatory level. Dr. de Sandino graduated with a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Violin Performance from Arizona State University. She also holds long term Suzuki training in all 10 Suzuki violin books. In addition, Dr. de Sandino received a Masters of Music from the University of New Mexico with a double concentration in Violin Performance and String Pedagogy, during which time she was a recipient of the prestigious Abraham Franck String Quartet Assistantship. She also graduated Summa Cum Laude from the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music with a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance.
Dr. Ayisha de Sandino has performed around the world in numerous festivals, concerts, and solo recitals in places such as North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, Central America, and the Caribbean. Currently, Dr. de Sandino works as an active performer and pedagogue both locally as well as internationally.
MUSIC WORKSHOP 2023
Sigrún Harðardóttir
Music Workshop
Sigrún Harðardóttir started her suzuki violin studies at the age of three at Tónskóli Sigursveins. She graduated with a B.Mus degree in violin performance from the Iceland Academy of the Arts in 2011. Sigrún furthered her studies in Berlin and Colorado and graduated with the highest distinction from the Lamont School of Music, University of Denver in the spring of 2014. Her main teacher was Linda Wang and Sigrún received a full scholarship for her studies. She also trained in the Suzuki teacher’s method with Kahleen Spring at the same school and finished her 5th degree teacher’s qualification.
Sigrún has taught at many music schools in Iceland and the USA, in music festivals such as Unison Strings in Greenland, Summer Festival of the Iceland Suzuki Union and Fiðlufjör.
Sigrún is active in the Icelandic music scene, she performs with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, is a founding member of the chamber group Cauda Collective, is a member of Sinfonia Nord and the Lýra String Quartet and has performed with ensembles such as Caput, Spiccato and Skar. She is a sought-after performer for recordings and has recorded for artists such as Björk and Ólafur Arnalds’s music for the TV show Broadchurch, which was Awarded the Bafta Award. She has performed all over the world with Ólafur Arnalds in venues such as the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg and the Sydney Opera House.
Unnur Birna Björnsdóttir
Violinist and singer
Unnur Birna is a violinist, singer and songwriter with a teaching degree from the FÍH music school. She graduated with her diploma in violin performance in 2005 from the Music School in Akureyri and graduated with a diploma in jazz singing from FÍH in 2011. She has worked as a music teacher in music and primary schools in Akureyri and in Reykjavík and now teaches singing at Tónlistarskóli Rangæinga.
Unnur has performed widely in the music world and played with many musicians, from the Symphony Orchestra in the North to Jethro Tull. Today she plays mostly with guitarist Björn Thoroddsen and in church services and works on her own material.
MASTERCLASS 2023
Auður Hafsteinsdóttir
Masterclass
One of Iceland’s leading performers and violin teachers, Auður is a graduate of the Reykjavík College of Music, the New England Conservatory and the University of Minnesota, where she received her Master’s degree as a student of the renowned Almita and Roland Vamos. Auður has appeared both as soloist and chamber musician in the U.S., Canada, Europe, China and Japan.
Auður has received many awards for her playing, she is a founding member of Trio Nordica and the Caput Ensemble. Her playing is featured on numerous labels such as Tutl, GM records and Naxos. Auður is a prominent teacher, many of her students have won competitions and gone on to study at respected conservatories abroad.
Geirþrúður Ása Guðjónsdottir Skelton
Masterclass
Geirþrúður Ása started her violin studies as a suzuki student of Lilja Hjaltadóttir at the age of three. She completed her first college degree in violin performance from the Iceland Academy of the arts as a student of Auður Hafsteinsdóttir and went to further her studies in Vienna with Boris Kuschnir and Routa Kroumovitch at Stetson University in the USA. Geirþrúður Ása graduated with her Master of Music degree in violin performance from the Hartt School at the University of Hartford, Connecticut in 2014 under the guidance of Anton Miller.
While studying, Geirþrúður Ása received scholarships from Fulbright, Valitor cultural grant, Glitnir cultural grant, the Memorial Fund of Margrét and the Thor Thors Scholarship from the American-Scandinavian Foundation. Geirþrúður ása regularly performs at concerts and festivals in Europe and the USA. She has performed at the Scandinavian House in New York and in Washington D.C., Lincoln Center in New York as well as performing as soloist with the Young People’s Orchestra in Iceland, where she performed Mendelssohn’s violin concerto. She has also performed at concert series such as Sígildir Sunnudagar, Tíbrá at kópavogur’s Music Hall and Dark Music Days. She has also performed at a Memorial concert for the Grenfell Tower burn in Cadogan Hall in London along with her husband, Stuart Skelton.
Geirþrúður Ása has performed chamber music with the Caput ensemble and Reykjavik Chamber Orchestra, as well as the Connecticut Virtuosi chamber Orchestra from 2011-2014. She has performed with the Icelandic Opera Orchestra and the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra since 2014. She has performed recently as the concertmaster of Sinfonia Nord. Geirþrúður Ása formed the Amaranth Duo with guitarist Chirstopher Ladd in 2015 and they have performed at venus such as Mengi, the Nordic Heritage Museum in Seattle, Birkman Hall in Connecticut and at the Artist Series with the Boston Classical Guitarist Society. They have premiered many new compositions both in Iceland and abroad.
Geirþrúður Ása has recorded CD’s with artists such as Björk, Ólafur Arnalds, Friðrik Ómar and Halldór Smárason, and his CD’s, STARA was nominated for best CD of the year of the Icelandic Music Awards in 2020. She has also worked closely with composer Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson in recent years and recorded music for many of his movies.
Geirþrúður Ása has been a permanent member of Iceland Symphony Orchestra’s violin section since 2021.
Guðný Guðmundsdóttir
Masterclass
Guðný Guðmundsdóttir worked as the 1st concertmaster of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra from 1974 -2010. She led the orchestra under the direction of many world-renowned conductors and played with many of the world's most famous soloists. In addition to her concert master work, she has taught at the Reykjavík Music School for over four decades and also in recent years at the Iceland Academy of the Arts, where she was honored with an honorary professor title in the spring of 2018. Many of her students have won international awards and are in leading positions both at home and abroad.
Guðný is one of the founders of the Reykjavík Trio, which has given concerts all over Iceland as well as many concert tours abroad. Guðný has been on the concert stage since the age of seven. She has performed as a soloist, in chamber music and as a guest lecturer in many places in the United States, Europe and also Asian countries.
Guðný has premiered in Iceland some of the most prominent violin concertos of the 20th century, such as violin concertos by Elgar, Stravinsky and Britten. She regularly goes on teaching trips abroad and has been a visiting professor in Switzerland, Italy, the United States, China and Finland. During her teaching trips, she seeks to promote Icelandic music.
Guðný has received many awards for her musical work, such as the Knight's Cross of the Icelandic Order of the Falcon in 1989 and the DV Culture Prize in 1990. She is also the holder of the Golden Award from F.Í.H. and is an honorary member of the F.Í.T. She was awarded the gold medal of the Icelandic Composers' Association in June 2015 for her hard work for Icelandic music.
Guðný received her music education for the first two years at the Hafnarfjörður Music School and then at the Reykjavík Music School under the guidance of Björn Ólafsson. For her graduate studies, she attended the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY and the Juilliard School in New York City, where her principal teachers were Carroll Glenn and Dorothy DeLay.
ACCOMPANISTS 2023
Anela Bakraqi
Pianist
Anela Bakraqi started studying piano at Tónmenntaskóli Reykjavíkur at the age of 7 where Áslaug Guðmundsdóttir was her teacher. In 2009, she went to the Reykjavik College of Music where Peter Máté was her teacher; there she graduated with an Advanced Exam (level 8). She continued her studies at Iceland Academy of the Arts where she studied music education with Kristinn Örn Kristinsson and graduated in 2018.
That same year she moved to Sweden where she did her Masters degree in Piano Performance in Musikhögskolan i Malmö, where Hans Pålsson was her teacher. After her Master’s degree she completed a one year diploma-program at the same school and graduated in the spring of 2021. Besides her studies in Sweden, Anela has worked as a piano teacher in music schools in Lund and Malmö.
Anela has played with Caput ensemble, the Icelandic Symphony Youth Orchestra and Ungfónía. She has participated in a children’s opera with the ÓP-ensemble, played with the Symphony of the Malmö Conservatory and participated in the opera Ned Rorem Robbers in Malmö. She has premiered works by Eli Tausen á Lava, Ahmed Ali Al Ghanem, Mirza Kucukovic og Johan Stertman. Anela is a suzuki pianoteacher at Allegro Suzuki shcool and Music school of Kópavogur.
Birna Hallgrímsdóttir
Pianist
Birna Hallgrímsdóttir completed her bachelor's degree from the Iceland Academy of the Arts in 2006 under the supervision of Peter Mate and her master's degree from the Royal College of Music in London in 2009, with professors Gordon Fergus-Thompson and Ian Jones. She recently completed a master's degree in project management at the University of Reykjavík and was recognized by the Project Management Association of Iceland for her research project that deals with the connection between project management and artistic management. Birna is active in the Icelandic music scene and has performed at many concerts in recent years. She has played solo concerts around the country and performed as a soloist with the Young People's Symphony Orchestra and the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. Birna has also worked extensively with singers and released the CD Krot in 2016 together with soprano Rannveiga Káradottir. Birna is a prizewinner in the Epta piano competition in Iceland and was chosen as Seltjarnarnes's Artist in 2011. During her studies, she received a Vísa Cultural Grant, a grant from the Karl Sighvatsson Memorial Fund as well as receiving a grant from the Pharmacist Birgir Einarson Memorial Fund two times. Birna works as a piano teacher at the Reykjavík College of Music.
Þóra Kristín Gunnarsdóttir
Pianist
Þóra Kristín Gunnarsdóttir has performed all over Switzerland and Iceland in the past years, mostly accompanying singers and playing chamber music. She moved back to Iceland in 2021 after studying and working in Lucerne and Zürich for ten years. Since then she has played in various concert series, such as Tíbrá, Sígildir sunnudagar, Klassík í Vatnsmýrinni, Verðandi in Akureyri, Velkomin heim in Harpa and the Beethoven piano series in Kópavogur. In 2021 she also appeared as a soloist with ZHdK Strings in Reykjavík and Winterthur. She completed a Master’s degree in piano pedagogy in Lucerne and another Master’s degree in Zürich in chamber music and song accompaniment, where her primary teachers were Friedemann Rieger, Christoph Berner, Yvonne Lang and Edward Rushton. During her studies she also attended masterclasses with Thomas Hampson, Simon Lepper, Josef Breinl and Ewa Kupiec among others.
TEACHERS 2017-2022
 Gróa Margrét V.Violin teacher |  Einar Bjartur E.Pianist |  Þórdís Heiða K.Music workshop |
|---|---|---|
 Dan CassidyViolin teacher |  Diljá Sigursveinsd.Violin teacher |  Lilja HjaltadóttirViolin teacher |
 Greta SalómeViolinist and singer |  Sigrún Kristbjörg J.Music workshop |  Jón SigurðssonPianist |
 Guðmundur P.Violin teacher |  Guðmundur K.Violin teacher |  Kristinn Örn K.Pianist |
 David CutrightPianist |  Dúó StemmaWorkshop |