Matthildur Traustadóttir

Matthildur Traustadóttir started playing the violin at the age of seven. Right from the beginning she fell in love with her violin and ever since, she has worked very hard to develop the musical and technical skills in her playing. At a young age, the concertmaster of the symphony orchestra of Tenerife, professor Fernando Fragoso Hernández, wanted to be her mentor.

After moving to Iceland in 2020, Guðný Guðmundsdóttir, professor at the University of Arts of Iceland and the former concertmaster of the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra, took over as her professor.

Matthildur attended Meadowmount School of Music 2022 (studying with professor Gerardo Ribeiro), the Harpa International Music Academy in 2021, as well as the Swedish YOMA and Polstjarnepriset music program. This summer 2024, she got into Heifetz International Music Institute with a full scholarship, as a String Scholar. She is very excited to get the opportunity to study with the wonderful professors Shmuel Ashkenasi, Ilya Kaler, Nicholas Kitchen, Hagai Shaham and Yoo Jin Jang, as well as the chamber coaches David Geber, Melissa Reardon, Yeesun Kim and Kristopher Tong.

Matthildur has been awarded student of honor several times, both at her school and conservatory. She has a lot of experience playing in different orchestras like the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, the Icelandic Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Symphony Orchestra of the Conservatory of Tenerife and the Polstjarnepriset Symphony Orchestra. Matthildur has also participated in many chamber groups over the last seven years and at the age of 14, she was chosen to play as one of the soloists in the Chamber Orchestra of the Conservatory of Tenerife in various pieces, like the Vivaldi concerto for two violins and the Concerto Grosso. She has often been selected to play as a soloist in special concerts. She won the soloist competition of MÍT in Iceland in 2024 and played the solo piece Poème, after Chausson, with the symphony orchestra and will cherish that memory forever. She has also placed in other competitions like Polstjärnepriset, Encore and Tuesday Musical.

Matthildur has been chosen to play in multiple masterclasses, for world renowned professors like Laurie Smuckler, Maciej Rakowski, Miguel Negri, Philippe Graffin, Malin Broman, Dominika Falger, Agustín León Ara and more.

When she is not playing the violin, she enjoys dancing, painting and having fun with her friends and family. She used to dance ballet for 10 years and she also took part in her high school´s musicals, as a singer, dancer and actress. She lived 12 years of her life in Tenerife, Spain, and therefore, speaks Spanish like a native speaker, as well as Icelandic. She also speaks English fluently and limited French and Italian. She loves reading and doing outdoor activities.