About Hallveig

Born in Reykjavík, Hallveig Rúnarsdóttir began her studies at 16 years old with Sigurður Demetz. She later enrolled at the Reykjavík College of Music where she gratuated in 1998, furthering her studies at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, from where she graduated with honours in 2001. 

Her opera roles include among others Donna Anna in Don Giovanni and Fiordiligi in Così fan Tutte by W.A. Mozart, Servilia in La Clemenza di Tito by W. A. Mozart, Echo in Ariadne auf Naxos by Richard Strauss, Voce dal Cielo in Verdi´s Don Carlo and Giannetta in L´Elisir d´Amore by Donizetti. In 2016 she performed the role of Stúlka in the premiére of Kristian Blak´s opera Ljós í ljóði in the Nordic House in Thórshavn, Faroe Islands, and in 2018 she premiered the role of Gilitrutt the troll that was written for her in the children´s opera Gilitrutt by Hildigunnur Rúnarsdóttir. In 2021 she premiered the role of the Traveller in Hildigunnur Rúnarsdóttir´s opera Traversing the Void in Iceland and later performed the opera in Australia.

Hallveig is an avid Baroque and oratorio singer and has performed with various chamber ensembles. She has performed with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra on numerous occasions, as well as with other orchestras around the world. She is also an active lieder performer, has focused on contemporary music and has premiered numerous Icelandic pieces both in Iceland and abroad.

Hallveig won the Icelandic Music Award as Classical Singer of the Year 2013 for her role as Michaëla in the Icelandic Opera´s production of Carmen, and again for 2018 for her role as Gilitrutt, and for the concert Klassíkin okkar with the Icelandic Symphony orchestra. She was nominated again in 2014, for Ein Deutches Requiem by Brahms, in 2016 for Symphony nr. 3 by Henryk Górecki, in 2020 for a concert of Mozart arias with the Icelandic Symphony and again in 2021. She has also been nominated twice for Gríman, the Icelandic Theatre Awards, as best singer, first for Michaëla and again for Donna Anna.
 

Hallveig is the artistic director and founder of the musical group Cantoque Ensemble, which has attracted well-deserved attention for its performance. She is also a teacher and assistant principal of Songskóli Sigurðar Demetz.