Hera Bj?rk

Hera Bj?rk was born in Reykjavík on March 29th 1972. Music runs in the family as her mother is a well-known pop singer; Hera Bj?rk herself started performing at a young age – she had already recorded some children’s songs and appeared in television commercials before her twelfth birthday. She won her first singing competition in 1988 aged just sixteen, and was the second runner-up in the 1991 nationwide College Singing Competition. This led to her being offered roles in various musicals, including The Rocky Horror Show, Evita, Little Shop of Horrors and Kiss Me Kate. She participated in the ‘Sirkus Skara Skrípó’ (‘Skari’s Comedy Circus’) variety show in 1996-1997, and joined a number of ephemeral groups, namely Orgill, Sweety and 17 Vélar, before releasing two acclaimed albums ‘Ilmur af jólum’ (‘The Perfume of Christmas’) in 2000 and her eponymous album‘Hera Bj?rk’ in 2006, which includes an Icelandic language cover version of 2006 Norwegian Eurovision entry ‘Alvedansen’ (‘Dance of The Elves’). She is currently working on her third album, due to be released in 2010 to coincide with the Oslo Eurovision Song Contest.
Hera Bj?rk became a household name in Iceland when she co-hosted the variety TV show ‘Stutt í spunann’ (a version of ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?’) during the winter of 1999-2000. She has been a regular star of various radio and television shows ever since, and is famous for her extraordinary vocal range as well as her seemingly effortless ability to glide from one vocal style to another.
Hera Bj?rk began studying vocal techniques at the Reykjavík Academy of Singing and Vocal Arts in 1989 under the tutelage of Rut Magnússon, Bergtór Pálsson, Elín ósk óskarsdóttir and Erna Guemundsdóttir, among others. She relocated to Copenhagen in 2004 to study advanced singing technique at the Complete Vocal Institute (CVI), pioneered by the institute’s founder Cathrine Sadolin. The process is designed to develop technical and artistic skills and solve vocal problems; it restores overworked vocal chords and tackles voice coaching and production. After graduating as a certified CVI teacher she gave masterclasses and delivered courses all over Europe as well as working as a vocal coach for television and stage. She also found time to contribute vocals to Bj?rk’s magnificent, and entirely a cappella 2004 album ‘Medúlla’.
Hera Bj?rk competed in the Icelandic Eurovision preselection contest in 2007, and sang backing vocals for the Icelandic Eurovision entries in 2008 and 2009. She also participated in the Danish Eurovision preselection (‘Melodi Grand Prix’) in 2009, finishing in second place with the fan favourite ‘Someday’. Eurovision trivia buffs will be delighted to know that she was also one of the dancers in Selma’s comedy video for her Icelandic Eurovision entry ‘All Out of Luck’ in 1999.