Paying respects to Hallfríður Ólafsdóttir, creator of Maximus Musicus.

Musician and writer Hallfríður Ólafsdóttir, creator of Maximús Musicús, lost her battle with cancer last Friday at the age of 56.  Born and raised in Kópavogur, she was first flautist at the Iceland Symphony Orchestra for over two decades. Hallfríður was also the creator and writer of Maximus Musicus, “without doubt the most famous musical mouse in Iceland”: The children’s book and accompanying concert series became internationally famous and were translated into several languages including Korean, German, Portuguese and Faroese since their first publication in 2008. Iceland Music was able to help this project develop internationally in its first years, but it is without a doubt that Hallfríður’s passion for music is what made it resonate with thousands of children worldwide.

Many Icelandic children have grown up and learned to love classical music along with the little mouse, themselves getting lost in the concert hall - and in the music - to discover their own passion for the art. The first adventures of Maximus follows a selection of pieces originally performed by the Iceland Symphony orchestra : the first movement of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, Steward Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man, followed by Maxi’s Song, composed by Hallfríður, and the Icelandic all-time favourite “Á Sprengisandi” by early 20th century composer Sigvaldi Kaldalóns. The books were illustrated by ISO viola player and illustrator Thórarinn Már Baldursson, and world famous conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy is patron of the project.

The Original run of concerts at the Harpa concert hall was a resounding success, every concert being sold out rapidly and resonating profoundly with their young audience. Maximus has reappeared many times since then in Harpa as well as abroad, as the original programme and its 4 sequels were performed by orchestras in the Netherlands, Germany, the US and Australia. The author also was commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and the Iceland Symphony Orchestra to  write a special programme titled “Maximus Musicus Explores Iceland”, in which Maximus meets two stowaway mice brought along in the case of a conductor, and shows them around his wondrous country. Hallfríður has received several awards for her work, including a YAM Award (Young Audiences Music Award) in 2019, as well as a Knight's Cross of the Icelandic Falcon Order in 2014.

The little mouse has established his residence on the ground floor of Harpa Concert hall, where his mouse hole can be found. It is equipped with books and a tablet for children to discover the wonderful world of music through the work of Hallfríður Ólafsdóttir. 

Iceland Music was involved in the beginning of Hallgerður´s international exploration back in 2008 when Anna Hildur Hildibrandsdottir, the office´s first managing director, was elemental in helping with connections and contracts that contributed to Maxi´s international success.