Harpa Ósk Björnsdóttir is a lyrical coloratura soprano from Reykjavík, Iceland. Since August 2024 she’s a part of OperAvenir at Theater Basel in Switzerland. Before moving to Basel she studied at the Bayerisches Theaterakademie August Everding at Prinzregententheater München in the class of Sabine Lahm and at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater “Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy” Leipzig in the class of Caroline Stein.

A few of Harpa´s engagements in the last years were the roles of Un pastore in “Tosca” at Oper Leipzig, Königin der Nacht in “die Zauberflöte” in Alten Spitzenfabrik Grimma, Taumännchen and Sandmännchen in “Hänsel und Gretel“ at Oper Halle, Vagaus in “Juditha Thriumphans” and Jen in “4:48 Psychose” in Prinzregententheater, and Titania in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” in Leipzig, and the title role of J. C. Bach’s opera “Zanaida” with BR Münchener Rundfunkorchester in Prinzregententheater München earlier this year.

Before moving to Germany, Harpa studied singing at the Reykjavik Institute of Singing and Vocal arts under the guidance of Ólöf Kolbrún Harðardóttir until May 2018, and then at the Icelandic University of the Arts under the guidance of Ólöf Kolbrún, Hanna Dóra Sturludóttir, Kristinn Sigmundsson and Þóra Einarsdóttir.

In September 2019 she made her debut with the Icelandic Opera in the role of Barbarina in “Le nozze di Figaro” in the National theater of Iceland and in the beginning of 2019 she performed as a soloist with the Icelandic Symphonic Orchestra in Harpa concert hall, as one of the winners of the “Young soloists 2019” competition. Harpa sung for the voice of the main character in the movie “Sparrows”, which was Iceland’s submission to the Academy awards in 2017. For six years she sung with the choir “Graduale Nobili”, who is mostly famous for it’s world tour with the singer Björk.

She has received grants from the funds of ”Kiyo & Eiko Tomiyasu” (2018), “Jón Stefánsson” (2020), “Landsbankinn” (2021), “Ýlir” (2021), Vilhjálmur Vilhjálmsson” (2021), Ingjaldssjóður (2023), and received a scholarship from the “Festival Puycelsi” (2019) where she performed as a soloist. She was chosen the "Voice of the year 2019", as well as the winner of the University category and received the listener's award in the competition "Vox Domini”. In 2024, Harpa was a finalist in the Wilhelm Stenhammar International Music Competition in Norrköping, Sweden.

Harpa graduated in 2019 from the University of Iceland with a degree in Electrical Engineering.