90 Years of Light

Saturday 6th of September at 12hrs.

Admission ISK 2.900

Erla Rut Káradóttir, organist, and Guja Sandholt, mezzo-soprano, dedicate this concert to light and to the anniversaries of two individuals who are, or would have been, turning ninety around this time.

What unites them is that they are true beings of light, who, through creation, teaching, presence, and existence, have illuminated the lives of those around them. Erla Stefánsdóttir would have turned ninety on September 6th—on the very day of the concert. On this occasion, we commemorate her with the premiere of a work by Guðný Einarsdóttir, a former student of Erla’s, set to Erla’s own poem The Source of Grace. Erla lived and worked in Reykjavík as a piano teacher and clairvoyant. She ran the meditation school Lífssýn mín (“My Vision of Life”), where she offered many people guidance in spiritual matters. Many of her students still work as musicians today. Erla passed away in 2015. The Estonian composer Arvo Pärt will turn ninety on September 11th. He is one of the world’s most renowned living composers and enjoys widespread respect among musicians as well as general audiences. Pärt is known for his sacred works and his unique voice, which has had a profound influence on contemporary music. In the 1970s, he developed the so-called tintinnabuli style, characterized by simplicity, pure tones, and contemplative stillness. Works such as Fratres, Spiegel im Spiegel, and Tabula Rasa have touched hearts worldwide and created a space for inner reflection and peace.

The concert marks the opening of the concert series Autumn in Hallgrímskirkja 2025.

HALLGRÍMSKIRKJA – YOUR PLACE IN REYKJAVÍK