Dr. Gulli Bjornsson (b. 1991) is an Icelandic guitarist, composer, and programmer whose work combines electronics, acoustic instruments, and visual media into immersive experiences inspired by nature. His music has been described as “hypnotic” (News Gazette), “a knockout – wondrously inventive” (Soundboard Magazine), and “virtuosic, modern, occasionally discordant, but still accessible” (Classical Guitar Magazine).
He has written for: New Jersey Symphony, Alarm Will Sound, Sō Percussion, Aizuri Quartet, Iarla Ó Lionáird, New York Classical Guitar Orchestra, Contemporaneous, Amanda Gookin, Dither, Jiji, Vicky Chow, Steve Cowan, Mirror Strings and others.
His compositions have recently been featured by Carnegie Hall, 92nd Street Y, Le Poisson Rouge, Caramoor, Octave 9: Raisbeck Music Center, TUTTI festival, Green Music Center, Centre Culturen Canadian Paris, San Francisco Performances, Guitar Foundation of America, New York Guitar Festival, Boston Celebrity Series, Harriman-Jewell Series, Purdue Convocations, Krannert Center, Rockefeller Tri-University, KPU music, NDR Kultur, Ung Nordisk Musik, Oh My Ears Festival, Nantucket Musical Arts Society, BU Tanglewood Institute amongst others.
Gulli has received international accolades for his compositions from Changsha, Rust and Veria International Guitar Composition Competitions and received grants from institutions such as Fulbright, The American Scandinavian Foundation, Valitor, Landsbankinn and The International Advisory Board. He has also been the recipient of multiple awards for his guitar playing: 1st prize at Nótan (a national music competition in Iceland), winner of The Lilian Fuch’s Chamber Music Competition and a finalist in The ASTA National Solo Competition, European Guitar Award and The International Young Talents Competition. Gulli was the recipient of The Eliot Fisk Prize and The Andrés Segovia Award for his studies at Yale School of Music and Manhattan School of Music.
Gulli is currently Assistant Teaching Professor of Composition at Bowling Green State University. He holds a PhD in music composition from Princeton University, and degrees in guitar performance from the Manhattan School of Music and Yale School of Music and previously taught electronic composition at the University of Kansas. Gulli is an Augustine Artist, and performs exclusively on Augustine Strings.
