Jórunn Viðar - Composer of the Month
Jórunn Viðar (1918–2017) was one of Iceland’s leading composers of the 20th century. Not only was she among the first Icelandic women to pursue composition, but she was also a pioneer in several areas of Icelandic music. In 1950, she composed the music for Eldur (Fire), the first Icelandic ballet to be performed publicly. That same year, she also composed Iceland’s first original film score, for Óskar Gíslason’s film Síðasti bærinn í dalnum (The Last Farm in the Valley).
Jórunn studied at the Reykjavík College of Music, graduating in 1936. She then continued her studies at the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin, before studying composition at the Juilliard School of Music in New York from 1943 to 1945. She later pursued further piano studies in Vienna.
Jórunn’s art songs hold a special place in Icelandic music history, and many have become an integral part of the country’s vocal repertoire. Among her best-known songs are Únglíngurinn í skóginum, Við Kínafljót, Vort líf and Það á að gefa börnum brauð. She also composed several larger-scale works, including the ballets Eld and Ólafur Liljurós, and the piano concerto Slátta.
In this collection, we turn the spotlight on Jórunn Viðar’s art songs and choral music, presenting a selection of works from her long career as a composer.