Thorsteinn Hauksson received his training both as composer and as pianist at the Reykjavík College of Music and continued his studies in instrumental and computer-aided composition at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and at Stanford University. He has been on the faculty of the Reykjavík College of Music since 1985, where he teaches composition and computer music. He has been composer-in-residence at IRCAM (Paris, 1980), the EMS (Stockholm, 1980 and 1993), the Center of Contemporary Music Research (Athens), the Computer Music Studios at the University of Glasgow, and the Center for Computer Music & Music Technology (CCMMT) at Kunitachi College of Music, Tokyo (1994 and 1996).
Hauksson’s compositions have been performed in most countries of Europe, all the Nordic countries, and in Canada, the United States, Japan, and China (Beijing and Hong Kong). His music has on several occasions been the official Icelandic contribution to international festivals. Recent commissions include Exhalatio (1996) for saxophone quartet; Metal Concerto (1996) for three percussionists and computer sound; Psychomachia, Oratorio (1995) for soprano, choir, and string ensemble; Ever-changing Waves (1995) for string quartet, winds, and percussion; and Bells of the Earth, for solo carillon, solo percussion, and computer sound (1994) - for orchestra and computer sound (1994) - and an outdoor multimedia version (1995) a work that is still in progress. In addition to shorter works, he is currently working on a ballet for the Efva Lilja Dansproduktion in Stockholm as well as a larger version of the Psychomachia Oratorio for orchestra, choir, 2 sopranos, 2 basses and computer sounds.
Among his awards are a Fulbright scholarship, Stanford University Fellowship, State Fellowships from France and Poland, a Creative Arts Fellowship from the University of Illinois, and just recently a three year Icelandic government stipend. He has been nominated on three occasions for the Nordic Council Prize for the works Ad Astra for orchestra (1988), cho for flute and computer sound (1993) and Bells of Earth for orchestra and computer sound (1995).