Ari Þór Vilhjálmsson joined the Israel Philharmonic as Principal Second Violin in 2019. He held the same position with the Helsinki Philharmonic since 2015, before moving to Israel.
Born in Reykjavík, Iceland, he previously worked with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra for nearly 10 years, and also performed as guest concertmaster with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic and the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse.
A dedicated teacher, he has taught at the Reykjavík College of Music and Sibelius Academy. He continues to teach students in Iceland and Finland, and performs solo and chamber music regularly in both countries.
He has appeared as soloist with the Helsinki Philharmonic and Iceland Symphony in violin concertos by Shostakovich, Chausson, Mozart and Kuusisto, among others.
Ari Þór Vilhjálmsson began playing the violin at the age of 5 and later completed degrees from the Reykjavík College of Music, University of Illinois and Northwestern University. His main teachers were Guðný Guðmundsdóttir, Rachel Barton Pine, Sibbi Bernharðsson and Almita and Roland Vamos.
His violin was made by Jean-Baptise Vuillaume in 1830.