Sara Magnúsdóttir
Icelandic jazz Hammond organist Sara Magnúsdóttir, recipient of the 2026 Icelandic Music Award for most promising artist, brings an exciting new voice to the Hammond Organ. She blends nordic lyricism with deep grooves and a soulful touch - all tied together by her background in the jazz tradition.
Growing up in a small Icelandic village with a fascination for jazz, her path led to the US, where she studied jazz performance and arranging, opening doors to opportunities like arranging a big band piece for jazz legend Joe Lovano. Now Sara is a working musician in New York City, performing regularly at venues such as The Django, as well as travelling regularly to Iceland to perform.
Sara released her debut album A Place to Bloom, in August 2025 with a premiere at Reykjavik Jazz Festival. The album is a reflection on wanderlust, identity and needing to find home in many places. The album has been well received, received radio play across Europe and the USA and been reviewed in respected publications such as Jazzthetik in Germany.
Sara is joined by some of Iceland’s most accomplished jazz musicians: Jóel Pálsson on tenor saxophone, Andrés Thor Gunnlaugsson on guitar, Einar Scheving on drums and Tumi Torfason on trumpet.
Listen to single Heima from album “A Place to Bloom”
Full album on Spotify:
Sara’s other great passion is composing for big bands, she has written for various big bands, most notably the Reykjavik Big Band on two occasions. She is currently preparing to collaborate with them on an entire album of her compositions, featuring the Hammond Organ.