Þórdís' Quartet plays songs from the album Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely. Cellist Þórdís Gerður Jónsdóttir leads the quartet, but in recent years she has drawn inspiration from Sinatra's singing when it comes to playing traditional jazz songs. The cello has often been considered the instrument that comes closest to the human voice and will play the role of the famous crooner in this concert. The album Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely was released on September 8, 1958 by the label Capitol Records and contains melancholic love songs, often called torch songs. When the album was recorded, the singer was divorcing actress Ava Gardner, and Sinatra's interpretation can be heard as both sad and longing. Sinatra himself said that the album was the one he was most proud of of his own releases, and perhaps no wonder, because it features the accompaniment of a full symphony orchestra in Nelson Riddle's magnificent and highly dramatic arrangements. Sinatra was nominated for a Grammy Award for the album and Nicholas Volpe won a Grammy Award for the album cover, which features an interpretation of Sinatra in classic guise of the sad clown.

Þórdís Gerður Jónsdóttir, cello

Kjartan Valdemarsson, piano

Andri Ólafsson, bass

Matthías MD Hemstock, drums