Guðný Guðmundsdóttir

Guðný Guðmundsdóttir 11.01.1948. Icelandic. Gudny Gudmundsdottir studied at the Eastman School of Music and Juilliard. From 1974 to 2010 she held the post of first concertmaster of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. For over four decades, she has been Iceland’s leading violin teacher and she now leads the violin department of the Iceland Academy of the Arts as well as teaching at the Reykjavík College of Music. Guðný has given recitals and appeared as a soloist in Iceland, the USA, Mexico, China, Switzerland, Norway, Hong Kong and Puerto Rico amongst others. In Iceland, she premiered some of the major 20th century violin concertos including Stravinsky, Elgar and Britten. Gudny is a frequent guest at festivals and workshops in the Nordic countries, focusing on the development of young talented string players. As teacher, soloist and chamber musician, she has been invited to numerous festivals in the US and in Europe and has taught at universities including Beijing and Houston. Gudny has received various awards in recognition of her services to music, including the Icelandic Order of the Falcon in 1989 and the DV Culture Award in 1990. Last spring she was awarded the highest honour from the Icelandic Composers Union for her contribution to Icelandic music.