Ingvar Jónasson

Ingvar Jónasson (1927–2014) was one of Iceland's leading violinists and violists of his generation and belonged to the first generation of musicians to shape the early years of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. He studied at the Reykjavík College of Music, the Royal College of Music in London, and later pursued advanced studies in Austria and the United States.

Over the course of a long and distinguished career, Ingvar performed with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, the Malmö Symphony Orchestra, and the Royal Swedish Opera Orchestra in Stockholm. Alongside his performing career, he taught extensively in both Iceland and Sweden and appeared widely as a soloist and chamber musician. He was also among the founders of Musica nova, playing an important role in promoting Icelandic contemporary music. In 1989, he took the initiative to establish the Amateur Symphony Orchestra of Iceland, serving as its conductor from its founding until 2005.

Highly respected as both a performer and teacher, Ingvar inspired numerous Icelandic composers to write works especially for him. His contribution to Icelandic musical life spanned more than half a century and left a lasting mark on instrumental performance and music education in Iceland.