Sæunn Thorsteinsdóttir

Icelandic cellist Sæunn Thorsteinsdóttir brings rare focus and a spirit of exploration to her performances, weaving together tradition and new sounds. She has appeared as a soloist with leading orchestras including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and the Iceland Symphony, and has performed in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Suntory Hall, the Elbphilharmonie, the Barbican Centre, and Walt Disney Concert Hall. Her recent recording Marrow: The 6 Suites for Solo Cello by J.S. Bach has earned international acclaim, and her Sono Luminus releases also include Vernacular and Quake, an award-winning concerto written for her by Páll Ragnar Pálsson and nominated for a 2021 Grammy. A committed advocate for new music and a sought-after chamber musician, she has premiered works by major composers, collaborated with artists such as Itzhak Perlman and Mitsuko Uchida, and served as a founding member of Decoda (Carnegie Hall’s Affiliate Ensemble); she is also artistic advisor for Iceland’s Við Djúpið Music Festival and an Affiliate Professor in the Department of Digital Arts and Experimental Media at the University of Washington.