PROGRAM

Grazyna Bacewicz Overture
Johannes Brahms Violin Concerto
Thomas Larcher Symphony no 2, Kenotaph

CONDUCTOR

Eva Ollikainen

SOLOIST

Sigrún Eðvaldsdóttir

To the audience of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Sigrún Eðvaldsdóttir, needs no introduction. As the the concertmaster of the ISO since 1998, she is the soloist who has most frequently performed with the orchestra. Sigrún has been a sought-after violinist ever since she completed her studies, having performed in venues such as the Weill Recital Hall in New York and Wigmore Hall in London, as well as appearing in various concerts and music festivals around the world. In 1998, Sigrún was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Order of the Falcon by the President of Iceland for her contributions in the field of music.

In this concert, Sigrún performs the beautiful and emotionally charged Violin Concerto of Brahms, a piece that has been dear to her for a long time. Or, in Sigrún’s own words: "I have such fond memories of the time when I learned this concerto and then performed it in the finals of the Sibelius Competition in 1990 and the Carl Flesch Competition in 1992 at Barbican Hall. For a young passionate woman, this was an unforgettable time spent with this wonderful concerto. I always say that Brahms's music makes everyone a better person."

The orchestra also performs a prelude by Grazyna Bacewicz, one of Poland's foremost composers in the mid-20th century and the first woman from Poland to gain international recognition for her compositions. The prelude is powerful, lyrical and very accessible. The evening's finale is the Icelandic premiere of the Second Symphony by Austrian composer Thomas Larcher. Larcher composed the symphony in memory of refugees who have drowned in the Mediterranean in recent years. The subtitle, Kenotaph, signifies a monument, commemorating those who are lost and presumed dead.