Gunnar Kvaran


Gunnar Kvaran is an Icelandic cellist.

Life and career

Gunnar was born in the town of Seltjarnarnes near Reykjavík, the son of the late actor Ævar Kvaran and the great-grandson of Einar Hjörleifsson Kvaran. He began studying the cello with Einar Vigfússon at the age of twelve and went to Copenhagen in 1964 to study with the famous Danish-Icelandic cellist Erling Blöndal Bengtsson at the Royal Danish Academy of Music. Later on he studied with Reine Flachot in Paris and Basel.
In 1988, he established the Reykjavík Trio with Halldór Haraldsson and Guðný Guðmundsdóttir.
For 25 years, Gunnar Kvaran taught at the Reykjavík College of Music, where he headed the department of string instruments. He is now professor of stringed instruments and chamber music in the music department at the Iceland Academy of the Arts, where the Reykjavík Trio is the resident chamber music ensemble.

Awards