The musical prodigy Bjarni Frímann Bjarnason is not like most people. He is a conductor, pianist, and viola player but can also produce sounds that qualify as music on nearly any instrument when duty calls. He has held the position of music director for the Icelandic Opera, served as principal conductor of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, and traveled the world with Björk as her orchestra conductor. Recently, Bjarni was appointed as the artistic director of the Bit20 ensemble in Bergen.

Classical music usually belongs in grand concert halls, but does it sound different when placed in another setting? At this State of the Art concert, Bjarni will explore this notion by bringing a grand piano into a car repair shop and perform an exciting selection of solo piano works. Concertgoers can expect to leave feeling well-oiled and refreshed.

Bjarni Frímann studied viola with Lilja Hjaltadóttir and Guðný Guðmundsdóttir and earned a degree in viola performance from the Iceland University of the Arts. In 2009, he won the soloist competition of the Iceland University of the Arts and the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, performing Bartók’s viola concerto with the orchestra. Following this, he studied conducting under Fred Buttkewitz at the Hanns Eisler School of Music in Berlin. Bjarni has performed around the world, both as a string and keyboard player, and has conducted most of Iceland’s orchestras on various occasions. He has also composed music for theater and film, both domestically and internationally. For years, Bjarni Frímann has frequently appeared as a pianist with singers and as a chamber musician, including performances at the Berlin Philharmonic and Konzerthaus in Vienna.