Halldór was selected as a composer in residence to write a new piece for Psappha Ensemble working with the rich archives of the International Anthony Burgess Foundation in Manchester, UK. ‘it means what you think it means’ was premiered on the 7th of January 2015 at the International Anthony Burgess Foundation.
Born in the town of Ísafjörður, in the Westfjords of North West Iceland, Halldór showed an early aptitude for music starting his studies at the age of 7 at the Ísafjörður Music School. Going on to complete his Advanced Level Piano Examination in the spring of 2009 he enrolled in the Icelandic Academy of the Arts where he graduated in the spring of 2012. In the spring of 2015 he received an internship grant to work with Beat Furrer in Vienna and Graz.
The same year, Halldór received a Fulbright scholarship to undertake his master’s studies at the Manhattan School of Music, New York, where he studied classical composition under Dr. Reiko Füting and graduated in the spring of 2014. Over the years Halldór has received several awards and commissions.
During his first year in the United States, his piece Stara was selected as the winning submission of the Manhattan Prize and in 2014, Halldór’s master’s thesis was selected to be premiered by the Manhattan School of Music Symphony, conducted by David Gilbert.
Currently residing in Iceland, Halldór is writing a new piece for the Iceland Symphony Orchestra which will be premiered in April 2016.