Bjarni Frímann Bjarnason

Conductor

Bjarni Frímann Bjarnason is Artistic Director of the contemporary ensemble BIT20 in Bergen and recipient of the 2025 Léonie Sonning Talent Prize. Bjarni Frímann was Conductor-in-Residence with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra 2018-2021. He served as Music Director of the Icelandic National Opera from 2018, leading acclaimed productions of Tosca, La Traviata, and Le Nozze di Figaro, alongside premiering Daníel Bjarnason’s opera Brothers. He appears regularly with orchestras including the Hallé, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, and the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra. Known for his fearless approach to programming and performance, his work extends beyond the concert hall through collaborations with Björk and Ólafur Arnalds, and as co-founder of the State of the Art festival in Iceland.