Composer in residence 2025 - Sigurður Sævarsson

Sigurður studied singing at the Keflavík School of Music with Árni Sighvatsson. From there he went to the New Music School where his teachers were Sigurður Demetz Franzson and Alina Dubik. In 1994, Sigurður began studying singing and composition at Boston University, where he completed his master's degree in both subjects in 1997.
Upon returning home, he began teaching until he was appointed principal of the New Music School.
Sigurður's main subjects in his compositions have been related to the human voice. He has composed a number of choral works, ranging from short a cappella pieces to oratorios. Many of these have been released on album. One example is the Hallgrím Passia performed by the Schola cantorum, the Caput group and Jóhann Smári Sævarsson, conducted by Hórður Áskelsson. The recording was nominated for best album in the classical and contemporary music category.
In 2022, an album was released by Harmonia Mundi. The choir of Clare College in Cambridge, conducted by Graham Ross, performs Requiem, Magnificat and Nunc dimittis by Sigurður. The album received rave reviews from critics, including five stars from BBC Music Magazine critic Freya Parr. Rick Anderson of AllMusic concludes his review: And I simply can't praise Sævarsson's Requiem setting highly enough; although the piece is thoroughly modern, it nevertheless invokes a timeless sense of reverence, regret, and devotion. A must-have for all library collections.

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Composers in residence

In 1986 Helga Ingólfsdóttir, the founder of the Summer Concerts, started the tradition of having one or more composers in residence. Every year a new piece was premiered at the Summer Concerts which made the festival not only a leading early music festival, but also a new music festival.

Many of the pieces have become a part of the Icelandic repertoire of new music, and have been performed in Iceland and abroad.

Here is a list of all the composers who have been composers in residence at Skálholt Summer Concerts.

1987 - Jón Nordal
1987 - Hjálmar H. Ragnarsson
1988 - Þorkell Sigurbjörnsson
1989 - Hjálmar H. Ragnarsson
1990 - Hafliði Hallgrímsson, Mist Þorkelsdóttir and Þorkell Sigurbjörnsson
1991 - John Speight and Karólína Eiríksdóttir
1992 - Oliver Kentish
1993 - Jón Nordal and Hafliði Hallgrímsson
1994 - Mist Þorkelsdóttir
1995 - Atli Heimir Sveinsson, Jón Nordal and Þorsteinn Hauksson
1996 - Jónas Tómasson and Hildigunnur Rúnarsdóttir
1997 - Oliver Kentish and Áskell Másson
1998 - Bára Grímsdóttir, Elín Gunnlaugsdóttir and Hafliði Hallgrímsson
1999 - Tryggvi M. Baldvinsson and Snorri S. Birgisson
2000 - Hróðmar Ingi Sigrubjörnsson and Bára Grímsdóttir
2001 - Jón Nordal and Karólína Eiríksdóttir
2002 - Þorkell Sigurbjörnsson and Þórður Magnússon
2003 - Gunnar Reynir Sveinsson, Oliver Kentish, Bára Grímsdóttir, Hugi Guðmundsson, Tryggvi M. Baldvinsson and Þuríður Jónsdóttir
2004 - Jón Nordal, Hildigunnur Rúnarsdóttir, John Tavener and Elín Gunnlaugsdóttir
2005 - Anna S. Þorvaldsdóttir, Gunnar Andreas Kristinsson, Hugi Guðmundsson and Þóra Marteinsdóttir
2006 - Doinu Rotaru
2007 - Daníel Bjarnason
2008 - Sveinn Lúðvík Björnsson
2009 - Þuríður Jónsdóttir
2010 - Sigurð Sævarsson
2011 - Þóra Marteinsdóttir
2012 - Hafdís Bjarnadóttir
2013 - Hreiðar Ingi Þorsteinson
2014 - Páll Ragnar Pálsson
2015 - Finnur Karlsson og Stefán Arason
2016 - María Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir
2017 - María Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir
2018 - Bára Gisladóttir og Bergrún Snæbjörnsdóttir
2019 - Þuríður Jónsdóttir
2020 - Gunnar Karel Másson og Þóranna Björnsdóttir

2021 - Haukur Tómasson and Eygló Viborg Höskuldsdóttir
2022 - Hróðmar ingi Sigurbjörnsson
2023 - Hjalti Nordal Gunnarsson
2024 - Bára Gísladóttir
2025 - Sigurður Sævarsson