Sara Magn��sd��ttir

Icelandic jazz Hammond organist Sara Magnúsdóttir brings an exciting new voice to the Hammond Organ, blending nordic lyricism with deep grooves and a soulful touch - all tied together by her background in the jazz tradition.

Growing up in a small Icelandic village with a fascination for jazz lead her to her studies in the US. During her college years, she discovered a deep pull towards the Hammond organ, its power and soulful sound. Taught by veteran organist Mike LeDonne, Sara was inspired to say the least. After finishing her BM in Jazz Performance from William Paterson University, she went on to get a MM in Jazz composition and arranging, building on her other big passion of big band music. 

Silva & Steini

Active since: 2020

The debut album from Icelandic duo Silva & Steini, More Than You Know is proof of the pure magic in truly inspired song interpretation. Over the course of eight spellbinding tracks, Reykjavík-based musicians Silva Thordardottir and Steingrímur Teague reimagine a lovingly curated collection of jazz standards, presenting each in a gorgeously sparse arrangement that often finds their vocals solely accompanied by the warm and dreamlike tones of Wurlitzer or the muted sounds of a felted piano. A delicate convergence of their distinct sensibilities—the gracefully understated approach to jazz singing Silva first revealed on her 2019 full-length debut, the inventive yet elegant musicianship Steini has showcased as a member of globally beloved band Moses Hightower and as a touring/recording keyboardist for indie-folk powerhouse Of Monsters and Men—More Than You Know ultimately lends a sublimely new vitality to its selected songs (some nearly a century-old). The result: a lovely and luminous body of work, both timeless and quietly forward-thinking.

A Brief Guide To Icelandic Jazz

by Ingi Bjarni Sk��lason
August 5, 2024

With contributions from Ingrid ?rk Kjartansd��ttir and Freysteinn Gislason. Iceland, a country of roughly 400,000 inhabitants in the North Atlantic Ocean, is known for its music, with notable artists such as Bj?rk, Sigur R��s, and more recently, Laufey. You might wonder about the state of jazz in Iceland. In 2023 alone, 26 jazz or ...

Olafur Arnalds: Music and Art are Most Important in Times like These

by Nenad Georgievski
November 28, 2020

Icelandic composer Olafur Arnalds has been described as a contemporary composer and synthesist, but that doesn't adequately reflect the alchemy of modern and traditional that he is able to blend on his new record, some kind of peace (Mercury KX, 2020). The album is steeped in reflective and introspective emotions, and themes that provide an underlying ...

Johann Johannsson and Yair Elazar Glotman: Last and First Men Documentary and Soundtrack

by Nenad Georgievski
August 23, 2020

Both ambient and classical music have the power to transcend the boundaries and take the listener to otherworldly places. By blending these two seemingly different genres throughout his illustrious, potent but brief career, the late composer Johann J��hannsson often managed to evoke difficult and complicated to describe emotions in his music. This prolific and groundbreaking composer ...

Toggi Jonsson

Born: May 29, 1976

Þorgrímur “Toggi” Jónsson, bassplayer has been a major part of the Icelandic jazz seen for the last 20 years. Has played with with some of the best-known musicians in Iceland an also some of the many foreign musicians that have visited Iceland in recent years.

2016 Toggi released his own CD including 10 original compositions performed by his own band including some of the finest musicians in Iceland. His music is under influences from the Balkans, pop music as well as European jazz. Thoughtful and melodic compositions are at the forfront showcasing the strenghts of his quintet.

Vikingur Olafsson: Music Can Take Us To A Better Place

by Nenad Georgievski
April 12, 2020

The Icelandic classical pianist Vikingur Olafsson has built an impressive international career. Sought after by top orchestras and major concert venues worldwide, his records are published by the renowned Deutsche Gramophone. Olafsson's playing impresses with its brilliance, projection and exactitude, eliciting an impressive range and diversity of colors from his piano. On the other hand, Olafsson ...

Hildur Gudnadottir: Telling Stories with Music

by Nenad Georgievski
October 15, 2019

Musician and composer Hildur Gudnadottir has spent the past decade creating some of the most unique and indelible music and film scores in modern memory. Much like her fellow Icelanders J��hann J��hannsson and ?lafur Arnalds, Gudnad��ttir has been composing weighty and layered ambiances and soundscapes. Her solo work obliterates the line between contemporary classical music and ...

Reykjavik Jazz Festival 2018

by Luca Vitali
October 8, 2018

Reykjavik Jazz Festival Reykjavik, Iceland September 5-9, 2018 Iceland has produced, and continues to produce, many outstanding artists--some of them world-famous, such as Björk, Múm, Sigur R��s, Ólafur Arnalds, Gus Gus, Emiliana Torrini, Of Monsters and Men--which is quite remarkable if one thinks that the country has less than 350,000 inhabitants. 130,000 ...

Reykjavik Jazz Festival 2018

by Luca Vitali
October 2, 2018

Reykjavik Jazz Festival Reykjavik, Islanda 5-9.9.2018 L'Islanda ha prodotto, e produce, una grande quantit�� di artisti, alcuni dei quali molto conosciuti a livello internazionale come Björk, Múm, Sigur Ros, Ólafur Arnalds, Gus Gus, Emiliana Torrini, Of Monsters and Men... il che, a pensarci bene, ha dell'incredibile, se pensiamo che il ...