Gísli Magnússon
COMPOSER
Gísli Magnússon is a composer and music theory teacher from Reykjavík, Iceland. His works are often characterized by diverse and colourful sound-textures, which he creates by combining various instrumental effects and extended playing techniques. Magnússon’s earlier works are often themed around depiction of natural phenomena, such as waterfalls, lava-fields or geysers. In recent years, however, his focus has shifted more towards sound itself, but mystery and surrealism also play a big role in many of his works.
Magnússon studied composition at the Iceland Academy of the Arts, first with Gunnar Andreas Kristinsson and later with Hróðmar Ingi Sigurbjörnsson and Atli Ingólfsson. In 2017 he finished his master’s studies at the Amsterdam Conservatory, where his main teachers were Joël Bons, Willem Jeths and Wim Henderickx. Magnússon has also attended courses and private lessons with composers such as Kaija Saariaho, Francisco Filidei and Fabien Lévy.
In 2015, Magnússon’s first orchestral work, Strokkur, was recorded by Ed Spanjaard and the CvA symphony orchestra and in 2017 he was selected for Yrkja, a workshop for young composers, with Daniel Bjarnason and the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, which led to the premiere of his second orchestral piece, Akvocirkulado. Magnússon’s works have been performed in festivals such as Nordic Music Days (IS), Dark Music Days (IS), Rondò in Monferrato (IT) and Musiikin Aika (FI). Performers include Caput Ensemble (IS), Elja Ensemble (IS), Jökla Ensemble (IS), Uusinta Ensemble (FI), Kompass Ensemble (DE), Tempo Ensemble (US), Orquestra Filarmônica da UFPR (BR), Ungfónía (IS) and the Iceland Symphony Orchestra (IS).