Kjalar Marteinsson Kollmar

Kjalar Kollmar, also credited as Kjalar Martinsson Kollmar, is a singer and songwriter working in jazz and contemporary music. He studied at the Reykjavík College of Music (MÍT), graduating in spring 2023. There he met bassist Hlynur Sævarsson, with whom he formed the duo Hlynur/Kjalar; the pair have continued to perform together, including at Reykjavík Jazz Festival.

Kollmar has also studied jazz voice at the Jazz Institute Berlin. He sings bass in Germany’s Bundesjazzorchester, appearing as part of the big band’s vocal section. Brazilian music has informed both his concert programmes and his own writing: he has performed music from that tradition alongside original compositions. He has also been publicly presented in Icelandic music settings as a singer and songwriter.