Sigurður Flosason

Kirkjulistahátíð 2013

Sigurdur Flosason (born 1964), one of Iceland’s most prominent musicians,  has been active on the Icelandic jazz scene since the early 1980’s. While jazz is his main focus, his activities have also touched upon many other kinds of music.  Sigurdur studied at The Reykjavik College of Music and graduated in 1983 with  a Performance Diploma in classical saxophone. Further studies at Indiana University in the U.S. where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in 1986 and a Master’s degree in 1988, in both jazz studies and classical saxophone.  At Indiana he studied with jazz education guru David Baker and leading classical saxophonist Eugene Rousseau. Sigurdur continued his studies with George Coleman in New York during the winter 1988-89.

Since returning home from his studies in the U.S. in1989, Sigurdur has emerged as one of the nations most active jazz musicians, performing frequently at home and abroad. He has recorded close to 20 CDs with a wide variety of jazz music; everything from his own compositions and jazz standards to experimental music and improvisational solo performances with the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra and the Swedish Norrbotten Big Band. Sigurdur is a driving force and frequent conductor of the Reykjavik Big Band and a founding member of the Icelandic Saxophone Quartet.

Sigurdur has been much involved and influential in music education in Iceland. Since 1989 he has been head of the jazz department at Tónlistarksóli F.I.H, Iceland’s only jazz school.  He has given numerous courses, clinics and workshops in Iceland and abroad, as well as working extensively for the Icelandic ministry of education on curriculum for Icelandic music schools. Furthermore, Sigurdur has been instrumental in promoting jazz music in Iceland by organizing concert series and festivals.

Sigurdur Flosason won 1st price in the American Hoagy Carmichael composition competition in 1987 and was a finalist in Europe Jazz Contest 1990. Sigurdur was nominated for the Nordic Council’s music price in 2000 and 2003 and he is a five times winner of the Icelandic Music Awards. Sigurdur Flosason was City Artist of Gardabaer, Iceland in 2005. He was nominated for the Danish music awards in 2011 for Land&Sky, a double CD and compositional cooperation with Danish singer Cathrine Legardh released on the Storyville label.

Sigurður Flosason

saxófónleikari og tónskáld | saxophonist and composer