Jónas Tómasson

Jónas Tómasson was born in 1946 in Ísafjörður in northwestern Iceland. He began his piano studies at the age of eleven. He studied music theory with Jón Þórarinsson and later studied counterpoint and composition with Þorkell Sigurbjörnsson at the Reykjavík College of Music, where he also was a flute student. From 1969–1972 he studied composition with Ton de Leeuw, orchestration with Léon Orthel, and flute with Pieter Odé at the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam.

Excepting two years spent in Munich, Germany, studying musicology, Jónas Tómasson has remained in Ísafjörður since his return to Iceland. There he has been very active in the musical community. He founded a chamber music group and directed a mixed choir for several years. Hiss compositional output includes well over 80 compositions: chamber music, solo pieces, orchestral and choral works and songs. In an article for Nordic Sounds, fellow composer and poet Atli Ingólfsson describes Jónas Tómasson’s music as momentary, each composition being a series of “moments” rather than a single idea which is then developed.

Contact composer at jonassmidjugata@gmail.com