Roar Kvam began studying music at a young age in his hometown in Norway, but pursued postgraduate studies at the Music Conservatory in Oslo, where he studied choral conducting with Trygve Lindemann, orchestral conducting with Øyvin Fjeldstað and music composition with Finn Mortensen, he has also participated in numerous international courses in choir-, orchestra- and wind band conducting.

Roar has won awards with his bands in a number of music competitions, e.g. 1st prize at the World Music Contest, Kerkrade in the Netherlands and the International Youth Music Festival, Zurich in Switzerland.

 

He founded and directed the Wind Band of the Music School in Akureyri and later the Youth Wind Band for 25 years. Roar also founded the Akureyri Chamber Orchestra, the forerunner of the North Iceland Symphony Orchestra, and conducted it for the first five years. He directed the Akureyri Municipal Band for seven years and the Akureyri-Geysir Mens' Choir from the merger of the choirs 1990-2000, the Lissý Women's Choir from 1999-2001, the FHUE Accordion Band from 2012 until today and the Embla Women's Choir from 2002 to the present day.

  

Roar founded the Passion Choir in Akureyri in 1972 and conducted it all the time, or until 1997 when the choir ceased to operate.

Under his direction, the choir performed masterpieces such as "Messiah" by Handel, Cantatas and "Easter Oratorio" by J.S. Bach, Masses by L. van Beethoven and Anton Bruckner, Requiem by Mozart, "Creation" and "The Seasons" by Haydn, the avant-garde work "African Sanctus" by D. Fanshawe, "Carmina Burana" by C. Orff and the oratorios "Fate Mystery" and "Strings Play" by Björgvin Guðmundsson.

In addition, the Passion Choir has performed as the only "rural choir" at the Art Festival and the Nordic Music Days in Reykjavík.

 

Roar has worked as a music director in several productions at the Akureyri Theater, such as "My Fair Lady", "Cabaret", "Blood Brothers" and "The Bath". He founded the Akureyri Theater Choir together with theater music enthusiasts in 1996 and under his music direction the choir staged e.g. "The Gypsy Baron" by Johann Strauss, "La belle Hélène" by J. Offenbach and "The Merry Widow" by Franz Lehár.