Jón Laxdal (composer)

Jón Laxdal (13 October 1865 – 7 July 1928{{cite book |last= Andrésson |first= Baldur |title= Tónlistarsaga Reykjavíkur: með inngangi um sögu sönglífs í landinu frá því land byggðist |trans-title= Music History of Reykjavík: with an introduction about the history of music in the country from the time the country was founded |url= http://www.musik.is/Baldur/TsagaRvk/1900-1930/til1930_6.html |language= Icelandic}}{{cite news |author= |date= 2006-09-26 |title= Guðrún Laxdal |url= https://www.mbl.is/greinasafn/innskraning/?redirect=%2Fgreinasafn%2Fgrein%2F1104983%2F%3Ft%3D311636565&page_name=article&grein_id=1104983 |work= mbl.is}}) was an Icelandic composer. The book, New Music in Iceland, by the Swedish music historian, Göran Bergendahl (1938 – ?), which describes{{cite book |last= Christensen |first= Jean |date= 2002 |title= New Music of the Nordic Countries |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=zyUOv6EQrWcC&pg=PA295 |publisher= Pendragon Press |page= 295 |isbn= 978-1576470190}} the pioneering introduction of Icelandic music history, depicts Jón Laxdal as a minor composing figure [https://archive.org/details/newmusicinicelan0000berg/page/26/mode/2up on page 26] in contrast to Magnús Einarsson (1848 – 1934). He was noticeable as the co-founder of the Reykjavík Orchestra (Hljómsveit Reykjavíkur) with Sigfús Einarsson.{{cite thesis |last= Elliott |first= Rachelle Anne |date= 2021 |title= Ég tala ekki íslensku: Exploring the performance of Icelandic mixed-voice choral music for non-Icelandic speaking conductors and singers |url= https://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/bitstream/handle/2123/29552/Elliott_RA_thesis.pdf |page= 122 |publisher= University of Sydney}} Laxdal's well-known works include two song cycles, Helga in fagra and Gunnar at Hlíðarendi.{{cite book |last= Ingólfsson |first= Árni Heimir |date= 2019-09-27 |title= Jón Leifs and the Musical Invention of Iceland |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=u-JVEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT41 |location= Bloomington |publisher= Indiana University Press |page= 41 |isbn= 978-0253044082}}

He is not to be confused with the Icelandic-Swiss actor, Jón Laxdal (1933 – 2005).