The works of Bára Gísladóttir are characterised by a deep and self-reflective calm, at times producing an almost meditative state in the music. In her pieces, time is as likely to move in circles as it is moving forwards towards a distinct goal.
                                                                                                                      -Sune Anderberg


Bára Gísladóttir is an Icelandic composer and double bassist based in Copenhagen. Her work is generally based on thoughts regarding the approach and concept of sound as a living being.

She studied composition at the Iceland Academy of the Arts in Reykjavík with Hróðmar I. Sigurbjörnsson and Þuríður Jónsdóttir, Conservatorio di Musica "Giuseppe Verdi" in Milan with Gabriele Manca and at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen with Niels Rosing-Schow and Jeppe Just Christensen.

Her music has been performed by ensembles and orchestras such as Athelas Sinfonietta, Collectif Love Music, Copenhagen Phil, The Danish National Symphony Orchestra, The Danish National Vocal Ensemble, Distractfold, Duo Harpverk, Elektra Ensemble, Elja Ensemble, Ensemble Adapter, Ensemble InterContemporain, Ensemble New Babylon, Ensemble recherche, Esbjerg Ensemble, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra, Iceland Symphony Orchestra, loadbang, Marco Fusi, Mimitabu, NJYD, Nordic Affect, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Riot Ensemble, Siggi String Quartet, Solistenensemble Kaleidoskop, Staatsorchester Hannover, TAK Ensemble and WDR Sinfonieorchester.

Gísladóttir´s pieces have been selected for festivals such as CPH Jazz Festival, Dark Music Days, Darmstädter Ferienkurse, Festival Musica, Festspillene, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, International Rostrum of Composers, MaerzMusik, Nordic Music Days, SPOR Festival, TRANSIT Festival, Ultima Festivalen, Warsaw Autumn, and Wittener Tage für neue Kammermusik.

She received the Ernst von Siemens Composer Prize in 2024. She has also received the Carl Nielsen and Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen Foundation’s Talent Awards, Gladsaxe Music Prize, the Icelandic Music Awards, Léonie Sonning Talent Prize, The Reykjavík Grapevine's Music Awards. She has been nominated for awards like the Nordic Council Music Prize and the Royal Philharmonic Society Awards, to name a few.

Gísladóttir has released several albums, most recently Orchestral Works via Dacapo Records. She is an active performer and regularly plays her own music, solo or with her longtime collaborator Skúli Sverrisson. In addition to this, she is the double bassist of Elja Ensemble. Occasionally, she performs as a soloist with ensembles and orchestras, most recently in her own double bass concerto, Hringla, with Copenhagen Phil and the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. In the recent years, Gísladóttir has been moving towards interdisciplinary productions, collaborating for the most part with Ben J. Riepe.

Her works are published by Edition·S.