Event info
Sigrún López Jack and Erna Vala Arnardóttir perform powerful selections from the French and Russian art song repertoire. This recital embodies the human ability to endure hardship and again return to a life renewed by growth and love for one another.
Performers:
Sigrún López Jack, mezzo-soprano
Erna Vala Arnardóttir, pianist
Program:
Chausson: Le colibri, Op. 2 no. 7
Debussy: Fêtes galantes I
Dupark: Chanson triste
L’invitation au voyage
Ravel: Cinq mélodies populaires grecques
Tchaikovsky: Amid the din of the ball
Rubinstein: Night
Rachmaninoff: Morning
Lilacs
Spring Waters
In the mysterious silence of the night
I wait for you
Sigrún López Jack is an Icelandic Mexican mezzo-soprano. She has had the privilege to sing with orchestras, on operatic stage, as well as art song recitals. She has always been intrigued by taking on challenging projects and interpreting different styles of music, and has recorded music for TV commercials, sacred music for Iceland’s national radio station, Icelandic hymns, and a number of art song pieces by American contemporary composers. Sigrún has always held art song very dear. Today she specializes in classical Russian vocal music and has a passion for introducing Russian art song to Icelandic audiences by performing songs by Russian composers in their original language and teaching young singers practical ways to learn Russian language pronunciation and performance style. In recent years, Sigrún has studied with mezzo-soprano Alina Dubik in music schools in Iceland. In 2020, she obtained a Master’s degree in Classical Vocal Performance from USC Thornton School of Music in Los Angeles, CA, where she studied with baritone Rod Gilfry.
Erna Vala Arnardóttir is an Icelandic pianist born 1995. Most recently, she received the White Rose Medal of Honor from Sauli Niinistö, president of Finland, and won first prize in the EPTA Piano Competition in Iceland. Erna Vala has performed as the soloist with both the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and the Iceland Amateur Symphony Orchestra. Erna Vala is a founding member and president of the Icelandic Schumann Society. Erna Vala is the artistic director of Seigla. Erna Vala earned her Master’s degree in Piano Performance from the Sibelius Academy in Finland, studying with Hamsa Juris. In 2019 she started her Doctoral studies in Piano Performance at USC Thornton School of Music as a Fulbright Scholar, under the guidance of Bernadene Blaha. Previously, she finished her Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance at the Iceland University of the Arts with Peter Máté as her teacher. Erna Vala has received extremely helpful grants for her studies, including the Rotary Grant in 2021, Birgir Einarsson Memorial Grant in 2020 and 2017, Jón Stefánsson Memorial Grant in 2019, Halldór Hansen Memorial Grant in 2018 and Landsbankinn’s Scholarship in 2017. Erna Vala was also one of the winners of the Icelandic Young Soloist Competition in 2014.
Seigla festival is made by the Icelandic Schumann Society and is sponsored by Ýlir tónlistarsjóður, Styrktarsjóður SUT og Ruthar Hermanns, Tónlistarsjóður Rannís, Barnamenningarsjóður and Menningarsjóður FÍH.
Students, senior citizens and members of the Schumann association enjoy discounted prices for events at Seigla. However, you must show confirmation of membership or a student id card.