Hjálmar H. Ragnarsson

Hjálmar Helgi Ragnarsson (23 September 1952 – 13 March 2026) was an Icelandic composer, music theorist, and rector. He is considered among the leading Icelandic composers of his generation, Life and career Hjálmar was born in Ísafjörður in northwestern Iceland on 23 September 1952, the son of Ragnar H. Ragnar, dean of the local music school, and Sigríður Jónsdóttir. He began piano studies with his father at age six and later continued his studies at the Reykjavík College and the Reykjavík School of Music. He completed his BA degree from Brandeis University in 1974, and studied electronic music at the Institute of Sonology (Utrecht University) in 1976–1977. In 1980, he completed an MFA degree in composition and music theory from Cornell University. Following his return to Iceland, Hjálmar was an active composer and teacher. He was a teacher at the Reykjavík College of Music from 1980 to 1988, and was the first Rector of the Iceland University of the Arts, serving for three terms (1998–2013). He was Chairman of the Icelandic Society of Composers (1988–1992), and President of the Federation of Icelandic Artists (Bandalag íslenskra listamanna) from 1991 to 1998. He received various hon