Einar Torfi Einarsson - biography

Einar Torfi Einarsson (1980) was born in Iceland and studied initially composition at Reykjavik College of Music. He received his PhD in composition from the University of Huddersfield where he studied with Aaron Cassidy on the Jonathan Harvey Scholarship. Previous composition studies were with Fabio Nieder at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, where he also studied with Richard Ayres and Willem Jeths, graduating with a MMus degree in 2009. Einarsson did further studies with Beat Furrer at the Kunstuniversität in Graz. In 2008, Einarsson was a composer in residence at the Ligeti Academy in Amsterdam organized by Asko/Schönberg Ensemble. He has attended masterclasses and private lessons from a.o. Salvatore Sciarrino, Brian Ferneyhough, Emmanuel Nunes and Jonathan Harvey.

His music has been performed by ensembles such as Klangforum Wien, Ensemble Intercontemporain, ELISION Ensemble, Nieuw Ensemble, Asko Ensemble, Caput Ensemble, Iceland Symphony Orchestra and Holland Symfonia. His music was featured on the International Rostrum of Composers and has been performed and broadcasted in Scandinavia, Netherlands, France, Austria, UK and Germany.

Einarsson was recently awarded an Artist Stipend (2012) from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (Iceland) and has previously received grants from Musica Nova foundation Iceland, Composers Fund 365 and Reykjavik City. During the Dutch Music Days festival 2008 his piece Nine Tensions was awarded the Henriëtte Bosmans Prize. Also a finalist for the Buma Toonzetters Prize 2009, winner in the category: "best ensemble piece". His orchestra piece Apertures was selected for the Young Composers Project 2009 organized by Holland Symfonia and premiered during the Gaudeamus Music Week 2009. A winner in the impuls Composition Competition 2009, which awarded him a commission to write a piece for Klangforum Wien (premiere on impuls 2011). In 2010 Einarsson was commissioned by the Ensemble Intercontemporain / IRCAM Reading Panel (Tremplin Commission programme) to write a piece for Ensemble Intercontemporain.

His music has been performed on festivals such as: Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Transit Festival, impuls festival, Dutch Music Days, Nordlichter (Berlin), Gaudeamus Music Week, Time of Music, Dark Music Days, Ung Nordisk Musik and Nordic Music Days.

He has worked as a part-time lecturer in Composition at the University of Huddersfield.

His recent music focuses experimentally on performance physicality, notation and nonlinear and non-teleological structures (see research).

www.einartorfieinarsson.co.cc