Gísli Magnússon is a composer and music theory teacher from Reykjavík, Iceland. He frequently seeks inspiration in the nature of his home country, and in some of his works he deliberately depicts natural phenomena, such as waterfalls, lava-fields and geysers. A recurring element in his music are diverse and colourful sound textures which he creates by combining various instrumental effects and extended techniques.
Gísli studied composition at the Iceland Academy of the Arts and later at the Amsterdam Conservatory, where he finished his master's studies in 2017. His main composition teacher's were Gunnar A. Kristinsson, Hróðmar I. Sigurbjörnsson, Atli Ingólfsson, Joël Bons, Willem Jeths and Wim Henderickx. Gísli has also had private lessons and masterclasses with composers such as Kaija Saariaho, Francisco Filidei and Fabien Lévy.
In 2015, Gísli’s first orchestral piece, Strokkur, was recorded by Ed Spanjaard and the CvA symphony orchestra and in 2017, he was selected for Yrkja, a workshop for young composers with Daniel Bjarnason and the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, which led to the premiere of his second orchestral piece, Akvocirkulado. Furthermore, Gísli has participated in workshops with ensembles like Duo Harpverk (IS), Uusinta Ensemble (FI) and 4x5 Duo (US) and artists such as Estelí Gomez and Maurizio Longoni. His music has been played in various festivals in Iceland and abroad, including Nordic Music Days (IS), Dark Music Days (IS), Ung Nordisk Musik (SE & NO), Musiikin Aika (FI) and Rondò in Monferrato (IT). Other performers of his music include Caput Ensemble (IS), Elja Ensemble (IS), Jökla Ensemble (IS), Kompass Ensemble (DE), Tempo Ensemble (US) and Orquestra Filarmônica da UFPR (BR). Occasionally, Gísli performs his own music, either as a pianist or, less commonly, as a harpsichordist.