Kristín Haraldsdottir

Kristín Þóra Haraldsdóttir is a composer, violist and interdisciplinary performer. Her compositions include solo instrumental music, chamber music, orchestral work, baroque ballads and soundscapes that mirror the natural world and our place within it.  As a performer, Kristín has a rich background in playing with groups and ensembles ranging in an array of styles. Kristín is an explorative improvisor who uses gesture and touch as means of sonic expressions and this translates into her composition work as well. She has lent her voice and viola playing to numerous records, and has been an active member of bands such as Mógil, Umbra, Hafdís Bjarnadóttir Band, Marshweed and Stórsveit Nix Noltes. She released her first solo record in 2016 with the VDSQ label, with her own music for solo guitar and field recordings. Her works have been performed in Europe, North- and Central America and the Middle-East by herself and groups such as Trio XelmYa, Nordic Affect, Umbra Ensemble, Kúbus and Iceland Symphony Orchestra. Her Orchestral piece 'Water's Voice' was nominated by the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service for the International Rostrum of Composers in Tallin in 2015. She has performed and premiered viola pieces written by her contemporaries at festivals such as Dark Music Days, Tectonics Reykjavík and Glasgow and Dogstar festival in Los Angeles. Kristín holds an MFA in performance/composition from California Institute of the Arts ('11) and BMus in viola performance and composition at Iceland Academy of the Arts ('09).