The conductor Snorri Sigfus Birgisson was born in Copenhagen in 1954. His early musical studies were with Gunnar Sigurgeirsson and then at the Reykjavík College of Music, where his teachers were Hermina Kristjansson, Jon Nordal, Arni Kristjansson (piano), and Thorkell Sigurbjornsson (composition). He went on to piano studies with Barry Snyder at the Eastman School of Music (1974–1975), and studies in composition with Finn Mortensen, and electronic music and sonology with Lasse Thoresen and sonology with Olav Anton Thommessen in Norway in the following year. He studied composition with Ton de Leeuw in Amsterdam from 1976-1978. Since 1980 Birgisson has been living in Reykjavík, where he is an active composer, performer and music teacher. He has composed solo works, chamber works, symphonic pieces and choral music.