Icelandic composer Thorkell Sigurbjörnsson (born 1938).
He began his music studies with violin and piano at the Reykjavik School of Music, with further studies in the United States. Sigurbjörnsson received his Bachelor of Arts degree at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota, followed by a Masters' Degree from the University of Illinois. Since 1962 Sigurbjörnsson has taught at the Reykjavik College of Music and at the Icelandic Academy of Arts. He served for over thirty years as moderator of New Music with the Iceland National Radio.
As one of the most important composers of contemporary music in Northern Europe, Sigurbjörnsson worked tiredlessly to promote new music and has influenced a new generation of composers and artists. His oevre ranges from simple childrens' pieces to large orchestral works. He is a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music and has a Doctor of Fine Arts from Hamline University.