Kjartan began his music studies at the age of 12 at the Seltjarnarnes Music School and from there he went to the F.Í.H. Music Academy. After finishing his studies in Iceland Kjartan studied at the Conservatory of Amsterdam. He played with the Icelandic Youth Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Paul Zukofsky from 1986 to 1994 and with Orkester Norden as principal timpanist and percussionist 1994 an 1995. The last 35 years Kjartan has played regularly with the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra, the Icelandic Opera Orchestra, Caput Modern Ensemble as well as numerous theater performances at the National Theater of Iceland and the Reykjavík City Theater. He has performed concerts worldwide with the Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam, Bach Collegium Japan and the Orchestra of the Eightteenth Century. Kjartan teaches at Skólahljómsveit Kópavogs.