Event info

POEMS release concert | Viktor Orri & Álfheiður Erla

Frikirkjan, Reykjavík  

March 16th 2024

Doors: 19h, Concert: 20h

Álfheiður Erla Guðmundsdóttir, Vocals

Viktor Orri Árnason, Piano

String Quartet

Viktor Orri Árnason and Álfheiður Erla Guðmundsdóttir present POEMS, their Deutsche Grammophon debut album that was released November 11th 2023.

https://dg.lnk.to/poems

Árnason and Guðmundsdóttir found inspiration in the work of Ólöf Sigurðardóttir frá Hlöðum (1857-1933), Hulda (1881-1946), Guðfinna Jónsdóttir frá Hömrum (1899-1946), Sigurður Pálsson (1948-2017) and Arndís Lóa Magnúsdóttir (b.1994). Drawn to poetry that speaks of vulnerability and solitude, change and renewal, the beauty of the natural world, and the power of words to express our dreams and innermost selves, they also contributed one new poem each to the album.

In the concert they will also be performing Icelandic folksongs, arranged by Viktor.

Viktor Orri Árnason is an Icelandic composer, conductor, and producer renowned for merging the realms of classical music with studio innovation, alongside his distinctive approach to playing the viola and violin. This fusion has positioned him as a distinguished figure within the contemporary music scene, earning him recognition as a highly sought-after collaborator among prominent artists across various genres, including Hildur Guðnadóttir, Jóhann Jóhannsson, Daníel Bjarnason, Volker Bertelmann, and Ólafur Arnalds. His debut solo album, "Eilífur," launched under the prestigious PENTATONE label, was nominated for the Edison Awards in the Netherlands as the best album in the classical category in 2022. "Myrkvi," his follow-up album released in 2023, delves into the concept of the shadow self through electronic music. Árnason also serves as the artistic director and principal conductor of the Reykjavík Orkestra (RO). His most recent project, "POEMS," a collaboration with Álfheiður Erla, was unveiled by Deutsche Grammophon in 2023.

Álfheiður Erla Guðmundsdóttir is an award-winning soprano from Iceland. She made her debut in 2019 at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin and received the Icelandic Music Awards in 2021 as the singer of the year in the classic and contemporary music category. Álfheiður has been a member of the solo ensemble at Theater Basel in Switzerland since the fall of 2021. There, she has performed various roles, including Gilda in Rigoletto by G. Verdi, the soprano role in Einstein on the Beach by P. Glass, and the angel in St. François d'Assise by O. Messiaen. She was invited to participate in SongStudio, a masterclass led by the singer Renée Fleming at Carnegie Hall in New York. She is also a Britten-Pears Young Artist, has participated in the Academy Orsay-Royaumont in France, and won two awards at the international Haydn singing competition in Austria. In addition, Álfheiður Erla works as a photographer and often combines visual and musical arts in her works. In 2022, Álfheiður was the artistic direction and singer at the event "Apparition" alongside pianist Kunal Lahiry at Harpa Concert Hall, where music, dance, and visual arts were combined. The event was nominated as the music event of the year at the Icelandic Music Awards in 2023.

Watch Rödd (maybe embed if possible)

Viktor Orri Árnason, Álfheiður Erla Guðmundsdóttir, Reykjavík Orkestra – Rödd (Live)