“the orchestra feels embedded in the environment: solid yet lithe, dark yet light and peppered with eruptions that subside as quickly as they appear.” -BBC Music Magazine

“Darkness and light imperceptibly merged in a slowly unfolding course where time – as so often in Icelandic music – was a space the music was allowed to inhabit.”
-Seismograf

“emerging into a luminous, subtle, carefully formed and exquisitely detailed piece that floats as one ever-transforming entity”
- Gramophone Editor’s Choice

Inmost ★★★★ „Mér fannst ég kenna áhrif jarðhrær­inga í hljóðheimi Veronique Vöku sem ein­mitt hef­ur
lagt sig eft­ir að skrá og um­rita breyt­ing­ar sem verða í ís­lenskri nátt­úru.”
- Morgunblaðið

Veronique Vaka, born in 1986, is a composer based in Iceland. She studied classical cello performance at Vincent-d’Indy, electroacoustic composition at the University of Montreal and completed a Master's degree in music composition from the Iceland University of the Arts.

Veronique's works are rooted in the geology and topography of Iceland. From the inner core of the Earth to its outer shapes, she explores the narrative of landscapes. Her orchestral work Lendh, inspired by the geothermal region of Krýsuvík, was described by The New York Times as “operating on a geologic scale, with tectonic bass textures” and by Gramophone as “a marvel.” The work was nominated for both the Nordic Council Music Prize and the Icelandic Music Awards. In 2020, she began her ongoing Glacier Series, exploring the transformation of glacial landscapes and the relationship between geological and human time. The cello concerto Gemæltan, written for Sæunn Þorsteinsdóttir, was nominated for the Icelandic Music Awards for Composition of the Year 2023. Vaka has written orchestral works, concertos, and chamber music, including numerous works developed in long-term collaboration with CAPUT Ensemble and Guðni Franzson. Her accordion concerto EYLAND, written for Jónas Ásgeir Ásgeirsson, was premiered by Athelas Sinfonietta Copenhagen and subsequently performed in Iceland by Caput Ensemble. The work was nominated for the Icelandic Music Awards 2026. “Veronique Vaka’s ongoing project to pin some of earth’s most momentous geological processes down in notated music is proving beguiling.” – Seismograf

An important aspect of Veronique's music is the perception of time. It is constructed as an independent layer of music that can fluctuate with different velocities and even come to a complete standstill. It expands, contracts and alters the sense of time.

Veronique has written symphonic works, concertos, and a variety of music for small and large ensembles. She has been performed by celebrated soloists and ensembles across continents. Her works have been presented at major festivals and venues across Europe and North America, including Klavier-Festival Ruhr (DE), Tippet Rise Art Center (USA), Grand Teton Music Festival (USA), Cresc... Biennale für aktuelle Musik (DE), Myrkir músíkdagar (IS), Møn Sommerkoncert (DK), Tertulia Chamber Music (Reykjavík and New York), Samos Young Artists Festival (GR), and Sumartónleikar í Skálholti (IS).

Among the upcoming projects are three works that will conclude my Glacier Series: Prelude: Quies for solo piano [Asher Ian Armstrong], Firn for solo cello and accordion [EKKI MINNA duo], and the final work, VESTIGIA, for solo piano and orchestra written for Pallavi Mahidhara.

Veronique is a member of Tónskáldafélag Íslands (the Society of Icelandic Composers).