Ashildur Haraldsdottir was born in Reykjavik, Iceland in 1965. She started to playing the flute at the age of nine and graduated from the Reykjavik Conservatorie when she was seventeen. She continuied her musical training in the USA, first at the New England Conservatorie and finally at internationally renowned Juilliard School of Music from where she graduated in 1988. Her teacher was Samuel Baron. She then continued her studies with Thomas Nyfenegger and Alain Marion.

A Promoter of new Music, Ashildur has premiered many new works written specially for her, itroducing new Iceland music in Sweden and in the USA. Ashildur is the first prize winner of various competitions, has toured extensively as a soloist in America, Mexico, England, Iceland and Sweden, and has frequently appeared on radio and television.