Gunnhildur Einarsdóttir

Gunnhildur Einarsdóttir is a harpist, performer, lecturer, composer and project manager. During her studies, she specialized in the performance practice of contemporary music. Since then, exploring and expanding the harp as an instrument has been at the center of her diverse career. In 2013, she became the first harpist to complete the doctoral program at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. Her dissertation, a well-established and widely used encyclopedia of contemporary harp techniques and notation, is available at www.harpnotation.com. In 2004, she co-founded the Berlin-based ensemble Adapter with percussionist Matthias Engler. Additionally, she has performed with various European ensembles and orchestras, including Ensemble Modern, Ensemble Recherche and Klangforum Wien. She has been invited as a lecturer at various universities, including Stanford University, Harvard University, Northwestern University, Manhattan School of Music, and the University of Pennsylvania. In 2017/18, she taught harp at the Lucerne Festival Academy, and since 2014, she has led the harp studio at the Darmstadt Summer Course for New Music. Einarsdóttir’s artistic practice is increasingly moving toward improvisation and composition, both individually and in collaboration with other artists and disciplines. While the harp remains a central focus, she actively expands her vocabulary into other artistic areas.

Gunnhildur Einarsdóttir has directed the Harp Studio at the Darmstadt Summer Course since 2014.