Daníel Bjarnason (born 1979) is an Icelandic composer and conductor whose debut album Processions (2010) received widespread critical acclaim, with Time Out New York noting that he “creates a sound that comes eerily close to defining classical music’s undefinable brave new world.”

He studied composition, piano, and conducting in Reykjavik before continuing his studies in orchestral conducting at the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg. Bjarnason has had works commissioned and premiered by leading ensembles such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and his music has been conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, John Adams, André de Ridder, James Conlon, Louis Langrée, and Ilan Volkov. He was composer-in-residence at Muziekgebouw Frits Philips Eindhoven and previously artist-in-residence with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra (2015–2018). His wide-ranging collaborations span genres, including projects with Ben Frost, Sigur Rós, and Brian Eno.

Bjarnason’s major orchestral works include Emergence (2011), Over Light Earth (2012), and Collider (2015), alongside chamber, vocal, and film compositions. His discography on the Bedroom Community label features Processions, Sólaris (with Ben Frost), Over Light Earth, and Djúpið.

He has received numerous awards, including Composer of the Year at the Icelandic Music Awards (2013) for The Isle Is Full of Noises and Over Light Earth, as well as an Edda Award with Ben Frost for their score to Baltasar Kormákur’s film The Deep (2012). Bjarnason was also a Kraumur Music Award winner and a nominee for the Nordic Council Music Prize.