Ingibjörg Þorbergs

Ingibjörg Þorbergs was born to Kristjana Sigurbergsdóttir, a homemaker, and Þorbergur Skúlason, a master shoemaker in Reykjavík. Ingibjörg’s brother is Skúli Ólafur Þorbergsson, born on April 3, 1930, married to Guðrún Stefanía Björnsdóttir.

On August 12, 1976, Ingibjörg married the pianist Guðmundur Jónsson (born November 13, 1929; died November 11, 2010). Guðmundur’s children from a previous marriage are Auður Eir, Guðmundur Kristinn, Helga Kristín, and Þórdís. The family includes 11 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

Ingibjörg graduated from the Reykjavík College of Music in 1952 with clarinet as her principal subject, while also studying harmony, piano, and music history. She completed a music education teaching degree from Kennaraskóli Íslands in 1957. In 1956, she traveled to the United States at the invitation of George Washington University, where she sang with big bands, among other activities. In 1962 she studied at the Dante Alighieri School in Rome and later attended various music and language courses organised by Icelandic and foreign institutions.

Ingibjörg began working for RÚV in 1946 and remained there until 1985, holding a variety of positions. Her first role was in the collections department, after which she became a program producer in the music department in 1949. Her projects included hosting the program Óskalög sjúklinga (“Patients’ Requested Songs”), working as an assistant announcer, directing children’s programming, and producing interview and music programs, along with other broadcasting work. From 1981 to 1985, Ingibjörg served as deputy program director and later program director of RÚV.

Alongside her work at RÚV, Ingibjörg taught part-time at schools including Miðbæjarskólinn and Breiðagerðisskóli from 1957 to 1958. She also worked in journalism, writing music criticism for the newspapers Tíminn and Vísir, as well as contributing to the children’s magazine Æskan.

Ingibjörg composed songs, popular music, and children’s songs, including works for the Þjóðleikhúsið and for primary school education in the Nordic countries. She recorded on numerous albums and wrote seven plays for children and young people that were broadcast on radio in Iceland and Sweden.

Ingibjörg received the honorary award of the Icelandic Music Awards in 2003, was elected an honorary member of FTT in 1996, and was awarded the Knight’s Cross in 2008 for her contribution to Icelandic music.