Iceland is crossed by a rift where the tectonic plates of Europe and North America are gradually drifting apart. Composer Atli Örvarsson jokes: “That’s my whole life!”

Originally from the town of Akureyri in northern Iceland, Atli Örvarsson quickly established himself on the local music scene. He earned three platinum records and two gold records as a member of the Icelandic band Sálin hans Jóns míns, before studying film scoring at the Berklee College of Music and the North Carolina School of the Arts. Recipient of the Pete Carpenter Fellowship, he then moved to Los Angeles.

Atli Örvarsson began working alongside television veteran Mike Post on NYPD Blue and the Law & Order franchise. He soon caught the attention of composer Hans Zimmer, who invited him to join Remote Control Productions.

Over the following years, he composed and orchestrated numerous scores for major Hollywood productions, including Pirates of the Caribbean, Stuart Little 3, Iron Man, The Eagle, Vantage Point, Babylon A.D., Man of Steel, as well as NBC series such as Chicago Fire and its spin-offs.

His first Icelandic collaboration on the film Hrútar (Rams), directed by Grímur Hákonarson, won the Un Certain Regard Award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2015. Following this experience, as well as A Single Shot with Sam Rockwell, he decided to return to Akureyri in order to focus on a more personal cinematic approach. He went on to compose the scores for The Lava Field, Pound For Pound, and Ploey, the first 100% Icelandic animated feature film.

Atli Örvarsson continues to travel regularly to Los Angeles, where he works on numerous international series and films. This dual presence allows him to develop projects more closely aligned with his artistic vision, such as The Edge of Seventeen and The Hitman’s Bodyguard.

In 2023, Atli chose to settle in London. He composed the music for the French animated series Runes, the feature film Sous Emprise released on Netflix, as well as the series Silo (Apple TV+ / Canal+).

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