Bjarni Böðvarsson

Bjarni Böðvarsson, bandleader, was born in Skildinganes in Skerjafjörður. His parents were Böðvar Bjarnason, provost at Hrafnseyri in Arnarfjörður, and his wife Ragnhildur Teitsdóttir.

Böðvar’s brother was Þórður Böðvarsson, a merchant in Reykjavík and father of actress Regína Þórðardóttir and the composer and choir conductor Sigurður Þórðarson, who in turn was the father of Þórður Sigurðsson. Böðvar’s sister was Ragnhildur Böðvarsdóttir, mother of the composer Jón Leifs.

Bjarni’s brother was Ágúst Böðvarsson, director of the National Land Survey of Iceland and a writer of popular song lyrics.

Bjarni’s wife was Lára Magnúsdóttir, one of Iceland’s first popular music singers. They had three children: Ómar Örn, who died as a teenager; Dúna, a homemaker in Reykjavík; and the beloved popular singer Ragnar Bjarnason.

Bjarni grew up at Hrafnseyri in Arnarfjörður and moved to Reykjavík at the age of fifteen. He studied at Verslunarskóli Íslands and worked for a time as a merchant and chauffeur. He studied organ with Sigfús Einarsson and Sigurður Þórðarson, and later music theory with Emil Thoroddsen and Hallgrímur Helgason.

At the age of eighteen, Bjarni began performing in cafés and dance venues. Shortly after the founding of RÚV, he was hired as a bass player there, and he also performed with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra for many years.

Bjarni played with most of Iceland’s leading instrumentalists, founded several bands, and in 1946 became the first person to tour rural Iceland with a big band. For many years he was conductor of Iceland’s most popular dance orchestra, Hljómsveit Bjarna Böðvarssonar. He also hosted popular radio programs such as Gamlar minningar (“Old Memories”).

In 1932, Bjarni founded Félag íslenskra hljóðfæraleikara, served as its chairman for many years, and was later made an honorary member of FÍH.

Bjarni was a versatile musician and an excellent composer and arranger. He died prematurely in 1955, on his birthday.

Source: Ísmús biography page