Högni Egilsson ICELAND

Högni is nominated for the 2025 HARPA Nordic Film Composers Award for his score in "Touch".

Högni Egilsson (b.1985) stands as one of Iceland’s most distinguished contemporary composers, known for a visionary approach that spans concert music, film scoring, songwriting and multimedia art. His career began in 2007 with the indie-rock band Hjaltalín, whose debut album Sleepdrunk Seasons quickly established Högni as a groundbreaking artist in Iceland’s music scene. Hjaltalín’s subsequent albums, especially Terminal (2009) and Enter 4 (2012), became cultural touchstones of public appeal, earning awards,  and critical acclaim for their inventive blend of rich melodies and experimental sounds.

Högni joined the prominent electronic band GusGus in 2011, contributing to acclaimed albums like Arabian Horse and Mexico, which brought him international recognition. His 2017 solo album, Two Trains, nominated for the Nordic Music Prize, further established his reputation. Building on these successes, Högni’s compositions are increasingly sought in film, television, and theater, culminating in the Icelandic Academy Award (Edda) for Composer of the Year in 2021.

A landmark in Högni’s film work is Touch (Focus Features, 2024), directed by Baltasar Kormakur. The most attended film in Iceland that year, Touch received international acclaim, with Högni’s score singled out in industry media. Variety praised it, stating, “Thematic overtones are sonically represented in Högni Egilsson’s tender, moving score that properly enhances motivations and augments actors’ work. As the violin strings are softly plucked, so are our heartstrings,” while Screen Daily noted, “the narrative is helped enormously by Högni Egilsson’s gentle score, which acts as connective tissue, and the quality of the performances.” 

Högni’s current projects include CBS’s King and Conqueror (2024), an epic drama set during the Battle of Hastings that blends period instruments with orchestral and synthesized soundscapes, and Apex (2025), a Netflix thriller starring Charlize Theron. His acclaimed work on Netflix’s Katla (2021) merges orchestral and choral elements with modular synthesis, reflecting his penchant for creating expansive sonic worlds.

In concert music, Högni’s Symphony No. 1 premiered with the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra in 2022. In 2023, he signed with Wise Music Publishing, joining Edition Wilhelm Hansen set to release Transparencies for solo violin in early 2025. His work in multimedia art includes the installation Circleight and The Orator at Harpa Concert Hall and in 2020 Högni produced the documentary The Hero’s Journey to the Third Pole, alongside esteemed stalwart of Icelandic literature,  Andri Snær Magnason, focusing on mental health awareness in Nepal.

In 2016, Högni expanded his work to academia with the course Music; Beauty, Artificial Intelligence, and Entropy, taught at the University of Iceland, exploring AI’s integration into art and storytelling. Through coding, students created musical compositions and narrative models, underscoring Högni’s commitment to advancing art’s relationship with technology.
Högni’s work resonates with audiences across genres, establishing him as a dynamic force in contemporary music and a compelling voice in both the concert hall and on screen. Ever forward-looking, he approaches music as a narrative force, exploring its inherent capacity to inspire, reflect, and deepen the human experience in the context of storytelling and society.