Bjorn Thoroddsen

Bjorn Thoroddsen is an Icelandic guitarist, composer, and producer whose work has moved between jazz, rock, and Icelandic music since the early 1980s. He graduated from the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles in 1982 and released Svif that same year, a recording described as a starting point for Icelandic jazz fusion. His career has included leading the fusion group Gammar as well as work in a wide range of ensembles and collaborations.

Thoroddsen’s work brings together original music, arrangements, and collaborative playing. With Gunnar Þórðarson and Jón Rafnsson, he founded Guitar Islancio, a trio that recast Icelandic folk songs through jazz and earned a gold record. He has also performed with international guitarists and musicians, released solo work, and recorded Bjössi in Nashville. Thoroddsen founded the Icelandic Guitar Festival in 2007 and Guitarama in Canada in 2013, and has received Icelandic Music Awards for jazz performance and composition.