Léonie Sonning Talent Prize recipient 2025
CONDUCTOR
Icelandic conductor Bjarni Frimann Bjarnason does not seek the spotlight—he seeks the space where music is born, not just on the page but in the silences in between. Through collaboration with singers and improvisation, he has discovered how music can become a living space where spontaneity and emotion outweigh perfection.
Bjarni grew up in a non-musical family in Reykjavik, Iceland. His mother worked at the national library and his father was a teacher. Still, his parents encouraged musical exploration, and Bjarni began playing violin at age five using the Suzuki method. Later, he transitioned to the viola and eventually to piano, before finding his musical voice in conducting, which he studied in Berlin.
Recently, he was appointed Artistic Director of the contemporary ensemble BIT20 in Bergen, Norway, where he works closely with composers and pushes the boundaries of what classical music can be.
Receiving the Léonie Sonning Talent Prize is not only a recognition of his talent, but also a financial boost that enables him to pursue new projects. He plans to use the award to deepen his study of historically informed performance and to further refine his conducting technique through collaborations with international orchestras.
