Bjarni Thor Kristinsson

Bjarni Thor Kristinsson is one of Iceland’s most renowned opera singers. He has a vast repertoire ranging from Mozart to Wagner, and he has performed at many of the world’s most prestigious opera houses and concert halls.
In 1994, Bjarni graduated from the Reykjavik School of Singing, where he studied with the Icelandic tenor Garðar Cortes Sr. In 1994, Bjarni moved to Vienna and continued his studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts under the guidance of Helene Carusso and Curt Malm. In 1997, he signed a three-year contract as principal bass at the Volksoper in Vienna. His debut was as Colline in Puccini’s La Bohème, followed by Sarastro in Mozart’s The Magic Flute and van Bett in Lorzing’s Zar und Zimmermann.  

In recent years, Bjarni has added many new roles to his repertoire, including Rocco in Beethoven’s *Fidelio*, Gurnemanz in Wagner’s *Parsifal*, Kaspar in Weber’s *Der Freischütz*, and Fafner in Wagner’s *Siegfried*. Other roles from Wagner’s operas in his repertoire include: Gurnemanz and Titurel in Parsifal, King Heinrich in Lohengrin, King Marke in Tristan und Isolde, and Daland in The Flying Dutchman.  

Although Bjarni has mainly performed in opera, he also frequently gives solo concerts. Among other things, he has collaborated for many years with two of Iceland’s leading accompanists, Jónas Ingimundarson and Ástríður Alda Sigurðardóttir.  

In addition to his extensive career as an opera singer, Bjarni has performed in many different masses and oratorios, both in Iceland and abroad. In Vienna, he has performed at the Musikverein and the Konzerthaus; in Paris, at the Salle Pleyel; and in Berlin, at the Philharmonie. His concert repertoire includes, among other works, Mozart’s and Verdi’s Requiems and Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis.