Sveinbjörnsson, Sveinbjörn

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Sveinbjörnsson, Sveinbjörn

Sveinbjörnsson, Sveinbjörn, Icelandic pianist and composer; b. near Reykjavik, June 28, 1847; d. Copenhagen, Feb. 23, 1927. After theological training, he went to Copenhagen to pursue musical studies with V.C. Ravn (1868-70). Following further studies with Reinecke in Leipzig (1872-73), he settled in Edinburgh, where he taught piano and was active as a concert pianist, making 2 major tours of North America (1911-13; 1919-22). He was an accomplished composer of choral works, songs, and piano pieces; his hymn in celebration of the millennium anniversary of the Norse settlement in Iceland (1874) was adopted as the Icelandic national anthem.

Bibliography

J. Thorarinsson, S. S.(Reykjavik, 1969).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire