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Yo-Yo Ma plays Elgar - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

Iceland Symphony Orchestra || October 24th 2024

Harpa - Eldborg
Yo-Yo Ma plays Elgar - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

Subscription - Regnbogakort Sinfóníuhljómsveitar Íslands 2024/25:

Oct 24th 2024 - Thu 19:30
Iceland Symphony Orchestra
PROGRAM
Hildur Guðnadóttir The Fact of the Matter
Edward Elgar Cello Concerto
Igor Stravinsky Petrushka (1947)
CONDUCTOR
Eva Ollikainen
SOLOIST
Yo-Yo Ma
CHOIR
Hljómeyki
CHOIR CONDUCTOR
Stefan Sand

The American cellist Yo-Yo Ma is one of the most renowned living musicians in the world, making his visit a significant event in Icelandic musical life. He has released over 120 recordings and won Grammy Awards 19 times, in addition to numerous other awards. His influence extends far beyond the music world, as he has used his music for decades in the fight for peace and cooperation and has been one of the United Nations Messengers of Peace since 2006.
At this concert, Yo-Yo Ma will perform Elgar's impactful Cello Concerto with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Eva Ollikainen, the orchestra's chief conductor. The work was composed shortly after the end of the First World War and expresses deep longing for the past. The concerto is a complex tapestry of triumph and sorrow, lyricism, and dissonance—a sort of artistic confession in the face of the devastation of war.
Fact of the Matter by Hildur Guðnadóttir premiered at the BBC Proms music festival in 2022. Hildur has described the piece as a response to the divisions prevalent in a world where everyone holds their own opinions about facts. "We are regressing, and instead of coming together, we seem more interested in being recognized for being right," Hildur said in an interview after the premiere.
The concert concludes with suites from Stravinsky's ballet Petrushka. Petrushka is an irresistibly entertaining ballet that showcases the formation of Stravinsky's powerful compositional voice, which would later revolutionize the history of music.
Oct 24th 2024 - Thu 19:30
Yo-Yo Ma and Kathryn Stott Duo Recital

Iceland Symphony Orchestra || October 26th 2024

Harpa - Eldborg
Yo-Yo Ma and Kathryn Stott Duo Recital

Subscription - Regnbogakort Sinfóníuhljómsveitar Íslands 2024/25:

Oct 26th 2024 - Sat 20:00
PROGRAM
Gabriel Fauré Berceuse
Antonín Dvorák Songs My Mother Taught Me
Sergio Assad Menino
Nadia Boulanger Cantique
Gabriel Faure Papillon
Dmitry Shostakovich Sonata for Cello and Piano in D Minor
Arvo Part Spiegel im Spiegel
Cesar Franck Sonata in A Major for Violin and Piano
CELLO
Yo-Yo Ma
PIANO
Kathryn Stott

Yo-Yo Ma is one of the most renowned cellists of our time. Throughout his long and illustrious career, he has captivated audiences worldwide with his enchanting interpretations, impeccable technique, and great personal charisma, as well as his passionate commitment to music and its power to bring about good in the world. After Ma's concert with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, audiences here have a unique opportunity to experience another side of this exceptional musician as he performs a colorful and captivating program for cello and piano with longtime collaborator Kathryn Stott. Internationally recognized as one of Britain's most versatile and imaginative pianists, the Washington Post wrote Stott is “every bit Ma's equal, playing with striking individuality.” Yo-Yo Ma and Kathryn Stott have collaborated successfully for many years, performing together in numerous concerts and recording award-winning albums. Their duo concert is a part of their ongoing European tour, which includes performances at the Barbican Centre, Konzerthuset Stockholm, Philharmonie Berlin, Herkulessal Munich, and Philharmonie de Paris. Past performances have taken them to the world's leading concert halls, such as Walt Disney Hall in Los Angeles and Carnegie Hall in New York.
The program for this unparalleled duo spans works from the nineteenth century to the twenty-first. It includes Dmitri Shostakovich's emotionally charged Cello Sonata and César Franck's Violin Sonata, one of the most popular violin sonatas of all time, which is equally charming in the version for cello and piano by the French cellist Jules Delsarte. Additionally, several beautiful and contemplative short pieces arranged for cello and piano will be performed.
Oct 26th 2024 - Sat 20:00
Baroque Feast - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

Iceland Symphony Orchestra || October 31st 2024

Harpa - Eldborg
Baroque Feast - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

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Oct 31st 2024 - Thu 19:30
Iceland Symphony Orchestra
PROGRAM
Hildegard von Bingen O Frondens Virga
Antonio Vivaldi Concerto for Four Violins
Georg Friedrich Händel Se pietà di me non sente, from Giulio Cesare
Georg Friedrich Händel Ombra mai fu, from Serse
Georg Friedrich Händel Flammende Rose, from Nine German arias
Johann Sebastian Bach Brandenburg Concerto no 6
Jean-Philippe Rameau Entrée de Polymnie, from Les Boréades
Jean-Philippe Rameau Les Sauvages, from Les Indes Galantes
Jean-Philippe Rameau Tendre Amour, from Les Indes Galantes
Arcangelo Corelli Concerto Grosso op. 6 no 4
Georg Friedrich HändelTornami a vagheggiar, from Alcina
CONDUCTOR
Peter Hanson
SOLOIST
María Konráðsdóttir

The music of the Baroque era holds many treasures that enchant each new generation. Today’s musicians are still discovering masterpieces from the 17th and 18th centuries that sound fresh and new to contemporary audiences, as do the evergreen works of Vivaldi, Handel, Bach and Corelli featured in the Iceland Symphony Orchestra’s Baroque Feast.
The soprano soloist, María Konráðsdóttir, has garnered much praise for her bright, tender and exquisitely expressive voice, alongside her beautifully nuanced interpretations. María sings a colourful selection of arias from operas by Händel. The concert will also feature works by Rameau, as well as the medieval work "O Frondens Virga" by Hildegard von Bingen. Von Bingen founded her own Benedictine convent around 1150, where she composed numerous works that have captivated scholars as well as music lovers in later centuries.

María has received international acclaim for her singing, and performed in numerous recitals and festivals both domestically and internationally. María specializes in early music and has been the soloist with Baroque ensembles such as Lautten Compagney in Berlin and Barokkbandið Brák. In 2018, María completed her master's degree in Lieder and Oratorio singing at the University of the Arts in Berlin.
Leading the orchestra is British violinist and conductor Peter Hanson, who has for decades been a leading figure in the world of historically informed performance of Baroque music — an approach aimed at capturing the spirit of the music as it sounded in its time. Serving as concertmaster in John Eliot Gardiner’s, renowned Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique for over 25 years, Hanson regularly performs with acclaimed orchestras around the world, either as a soloist, concertmaster or conductor — sometimes all three at once.
Oct 31st 2024 - Thu 19:30
Iceland Symphony Wind Ensemble

Iceland Symphony Orchestra - Norðurljós || November 1st 2024

Harpa - Norðurljós
Iceland Symphony Wind Ensemble

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Nov 1st 2024 - Fri 18:00
Iceland Symphony Orchestra
PROGRAM
Richard Strauss Serenade for Winds, op. 7
Igor Stravinsky Octet for Winds
Richard Strauss Sonatina no 1
CONDUCTOR
Andreas Ottensamer
ENSAMBLE
ISO Wind Section

The wind players of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra are the stars of this Friday concert, performing three captivating works for woodwind and brass ensemble. Two of those works are by Richard Strauss, whose father, Franz Strauss, was among the finest horn players of his time. The young Richard Strauss was deeply drawn to beautiful brass music, likely influenced by his father's exquisite horn playing. Many believe that the alluring melodies in the Serenade, Op. 7, which Strauss composed aged 17, are inspired by his father's artistry. In contrast, the Sonatina No. 1 was written more than six decades later when Richard Strauss was in his eighties, coping with serious illness. In reference to his circumstances, he humorously subtitled the work "From an Invalid’s Workshop." The piece is filled with joyful exuberance mixed with tenderness and poignancy — the work of an artist who, despite his failing health, was unmistakably still at the height of his compositional powers.
Igor Stravinsky's Octet for Wind Instruments marks the beginning of the composer’s neoclassical period. It came as a surprise to many that this revolutionary figure and author of "The Rite of Spring" should unexpectedly alter his course, finding new creative inspiration within the refined forms of earlier musical eras. The beguiling tension between the old and the new is an important part of this work’s enduring magic .
Conducting the concert is Andreas Ottensamer, the principal clarinetist of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, who has in recent years established himself as a brilliant and thoughtful conductor.
Nov 1st 2024 - Fri 18:00
Mozart and Beethoven with Sunwook Kim - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

Iceland Symphony Orchestra || November 14th 2024

Harpa - Eldborg
Mozart and Beethoven with Sunwook Kim - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

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Nov 14th 2024 - Thu 19:30
Iceland Symphony Orchestra
PROGRAM
Fanny Mendelssohn Overture in C major
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Concerto no 21
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony no 4
CONDUCTOR AND SOLOIST
Sunwook Kim

Mozart's piano concertos hold a unique place in music history. They rank among Mozart's most personal works, in which he reached previously unknown heights of inspiration, originality and inventiveness. At the same time, they shaped people's ideas of what a piano concerto could achieve, creating the prototype that Beethoven and others who followed looked to when experimenting with the form. This concert features one of Mozart's most celebrated piano concertos, the bright and lucid No. 21 in C major, which gained immense popularity in the late 20th century after its graceful second movement was featured in the Swedish film "Elvira Madigan" in 1967. South Korean pianist Sunwook Kim will be performing on the piano and directing the orchestra from the keyboard, in the same manner as Mozart himself did when he premiered the work in Vienna in 1785.
Sunwook Kim has long established himself as one of the foremost pianists of his generation. He won the prestigious Leeds International Piano Competition in 2006 at just 18 years old, becoming its youngest winner in 40 years. He regularly performs with many of the world's leading symphony orchestras but now divides his time equally between piano performance and conducting. In March 2023, he made his debut with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, captivating concertgoers in Eldborg in Brahms’s second piano concerto under the baton of Bertrand de Billy.
Beethoven's Fourth Symphony has often stood in the shadow of the more dramatic symphonies that flank it on each side— the Eroica and the Fate symphonies, respectively. However, the Fourth Symphony is a remarkably brilliant and engaging work. It is shorter and more refined in form than its sister works on either side, often looking back to the style of Haydn, Beethoven's teacher, especially in the playful and spirited final movement. The work was destined to inspire later composers of Beethoven's era such as Hector Berlioz, Felix Mendelssohn and Robert Schumann.
Although Fanny Mendelssohn left around 500 compositions dating from throughout her lifetime, few were publicly performed or published while she lived, with the exception of a handful originally attributed to her brother. This concert will open with one of her few preserved works for a full symphony orchestra, the bright and cheerful Concerto Overture in C Major.
Nov 14th 2024 - Thu 19:30
Beethoven and Shostakovich - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

Iceland Symphony Orchestra || November 21st 2024

Harpa - Eldborg
Beethoven and Shostakovich - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

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Nov 21st 2024 - Thu 19:30
Iceland Symphony Orchestra
PROGRAM
Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Concerto no 4
Dmitri Shostakovich Symphony no 8
CONDUCTOR
Andris Poga
SOLOIST
Jan Lisiecki

Polish-Canadian pianist Jan Lisiecki has been at the forefront of the world's pianists for years and is well-known to Icelandic concertgoers. In recent years, he has performed Schumann's (2018) and Chopin's (2022) piano concertos with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra to great critical and public acclaim. In this concert, Lisiecki will be playing Beethoven's Fourth Piano Concerto, a monumental work that contains both incomparable, virtuosic piano writing and daring formal innovations, not to mention the sublime beauty and heartfelt expression that contributes to its lasting popularity among music enthusiasts worldwide.
Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony No. 8 premiered in Moscow in 1943, in the middle of World War II. It is grand in scope and emotionally impactful, as the composer described it as a kind of "poem of suffering," an attempt to reflect the immense pain that the war had brought. Not always considered exemplary in his adherence to Soviet ideology, Shostakovich had a complex and tumultuous relationship with the authorities in Moscow. The Eighth Symphony is among the works that ended up on the government's blacklist, as the composer was deemed guilty of formal decadence.
Conductor Andris Poga is conducting the Iceland Symphony Orchestra for the first time. In addition to guest conducting with many of the world's leading orchestras, Poga serves as the chief conductor of the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra and was previously the principal conductor of the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra.
Nov 21st 2024 - Thu 19:30
Home Alone Film Concert - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

Iceland Symphony Orchestra || December 5th & 6th 2024

Harpa - Eldborg
Home Alone Film Concert - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

Subscription - Regnbogakort Sinfóníuhljómsveitar Íslands 2024/25:

Dec 5th 2024 - Thu 19:00

Dec 6th 2024 - Fri 19:00
Iceland Symphony Orchestra
PROGRAM
John Williams Home Alone
CONDUCTOR
Caleb Young
FILM DIRECTOR
Chris Colombus
CHOIRS
Kór Menntaskólans við Hamrahlíð
Kammerkórinn Huldur
CHOIR CONDUCTOR
Hreiðar Ingi Þorsteinsson

A true holiday favorite, this beloved comedy classic features renowned composer John Williams' charming and delightful score performed live to picture by the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. Macaulay Culkin stars as Kevin McCallister, an 8-year-old boy who's accidentally left behind when his family leaves for Christmas vacation, and who must defend his home against two bungling thieves. Hilarious and heart-warming, HomeAlone is holiday fun for the entire family!

© 1990 Twentieth Century Fox
Iceland Symphony Christmas Concert - Concerts for Young Listeners

Iceland Symphony Orchestra || December 14th & 15th 2024

Harpa - Eldborg
Iceland Symphony Christmas Concert - Concerts for Young Listeners

Subscription - Regnbogakort Sinfóníuhljómsveitar Íslands 2024/25:

Dec 14th 2024 - Sat 14:00

Dec 14th 2024 - Sat 16:00

Dec 15th 2024 - Sun 14:00

Dec 15th 2024 - Sun 16:00
Iceland Symphony Orchestra
CONDUCTOR
Hjörtur Páll Eggertsson
SOLOISTS
Ragnheiður Gröndal
Benedikt Kristjánsson
Kolbrún Völkudóttir
HOST
Barbara the Clown
CHOIRS
Stúlknakór Reykjavíkur
Kammerkórinn Aurora
Litlu sprotarnir sign language choir
BELL ENSAMBLES
Bjöllukór Tónlistarskóla Reykjanesbæjar
Bjöllukór Tónstofu Valgerðar
OTHER PERFORMERS
Dansarar úr Listdansskóla Íslands
Langspilssveit Flóaskóla

The annual Christmas Concert is a musical feast for children of all ages during the holiday season. Always festive and fun, this year’s Christmas Concert contains a hint of traditional Icelandic music, as folk songs meet timeless Christmas carols and delightful musical fairytales, brimming with the spirit of Christmas.
A new Christmas play infused with Icelandic and international folk songs opens the concert program and singers Gröndal, Kristjánsson and Völkudóttir perform beautiful Christmas classics. The choirs, along with dancers, perform selected parts from The Snowman, a magical Christmas adventure about friendship, by Howard Blake. The bell choirs join forces for the song "Hátíð fer að höndum ein" (The holiday is taking place) and the Langspil ensemble skillfully enhances the old national string instrument with great enthusiasm. The host is Barbara, the faithful friend of actress Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir, who brings the true holiday spirit to everyone.
The concert is interpreted in sign language.
Vienna New Year‘s Concert - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

Iceland Symphony Orchestra || January 9th - 11th 2025

Harpa - Eldborg
Vienna New Year‘s Concert - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

Subscription - Regnbogakort Sinfóníuhljómsveitar Íslands 2024/25:

Jan 9th 2025 - Thu 19:30

Jan 10th 2025 - Fri 19:30

Jan 11th 2025 - Sat 16:00

Jan 11th 2025 - Sat 19:30
Iceland Symphony Orchestra
CONDUCTOR
Ville Matvejeff
SOLOISTS
Bryndís Guðjónsdóttir
Einar Dagur Jónsson

Iceland Symphony’s beloved, annual Vienna concerts are a true New Year's celebration, their joyful programme setting the tone for the new year. The Vienna concerts have long been among the orchestra's most popular performances and something music enthusiasts don't want to miss.
This year, the concerts feature two magnificent soloists, soprano Bryndís Guðjónsdóttir and tenor Einar Dagur Jónsson, who sing arias and duets from popular operettas. In addition, elegant dancers take to the stage, performing irresistible waltzes, polkas and gallops — the signature Viennese repertoire that puts everyone in good spirits.
Soprano Bryndís Guðjónsdóttir has received numerous awards, performed at many opera houses and with various symphony orchestras, such as in Kiel, Kassel, Stuttgart, Munich, Salzburg, Prague, Rome, Vilnius, Seville and Madrid. She has previously performed with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, most recently at the orchestra's concert dedicated to the works of Anna Þorvaldsdóttir in October 2023. Her repertoire is wide-ranging, spanning many centuries. She holds both a bachelor's and master's degree with honors from the Mozarteum University Salzburg.
Born in 1996, tenor Einar Dagur Jónsson has sung roles such as that of Gastone in Latraviata under the direction of Garðar Cortes, as well as performing as a soloist with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Rico Saccani.
He completed his singing studies at the Reykjavik Academy of Singing under the guidance of Egill Árni Pálsson and Anna Rúna Atladóttir.
Finnish conductor Ville Matvejeff, who directs the concert, has in recent years established himself as an exciting and versatile artist, performing both as a conductor, composer and pianist. Matvejeff works with symphony orchestras and operas worldwide, serving as the artistic director of the Savonlinna Opera Festival in Finland and the principal conductor of the Norrland‘s Opera Orchestra in Sweden.
Inferno - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

Iceland Symphony Orchestra || January 16th 2025

Harpa - Eldborg
Inferno - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

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Jan 16th 2025 - Thu 19:30
Iceland Symphony Orchestra
PROGRAM
Daníel Bjarnason Inferno, percussion concerto
Daníel Bjarnason A Fragile Hope
Pjotr Tchaikovsky Francesca da Rimini
CONDUCTOR
Daníel Bjarnason
SOLOIST
Vivi Vassileva

Daníel Bjarnason has had a fruitful collaboration with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra for over a decade, both as a conductor and composer. He was the ISO's composer in residence from 2015 to 2018 and principal guest conductor from 2019 to 2021 and now works with the orchestra as an artist in collaboration. Daniel's compositions have garnered significant attention worldwide and in this concert, we get the opportunity to listen to the Icelandic premiere of his percussion concerto Inferno. The concerto was commissioned by the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, where it premiered in 2023. The soloist is percussion virtuoso Vivi Vassileva, who specializes in contemporary music and has appeared as a soloist with major orchestras worldwide.
Like the percussion concerto Inferno, which directly references infernal flames in its title, the latter part of the program also delves into deep and underworldly themes in various senses. The second half of the programme opens with, Daniel Bjarnason's work "A Fragile Hope". It was premiered by the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra in February 2024. Daniel describes his work as drawing inspiration from Iceland, where incredible forces reside beneath the surface, both in the volcanic activity of the land and in the surrounding ocean. The piece is dedicated to the memory of composer Jóhann Jóhannsson, who passed away in 2018.
The final piece of the concert is by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Francesca da Rimini was an Italian noblewoman born in 1283 and Tchaikovsky's eponymous tone poem recounts her tragic story: Her husband murdered her after discovering her love affair with his brother. Tchaikovsky found inspiration for the work while reading Dante's "Divine Comedy," where Francesca appears as one of the damned souls Dante encounters in the depths of hell.
Jan 16th 2025 - Thu 19:30
Dark Music Days - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

Iceland Symphony Orchestra || January 24th 2025

Harpa - Eldborg
Dark Music Days - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

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Jan 24th 2025 - Fri 18:00
Iceland Symphony Orchestra
PROGRAM
Ingibjörg Ýr Skarphéðinsdóttir Balaena
Marcos Balter Orun
Páll Ragnar Pálsson PLAY, bassoon concerto
CONDUCTOR
Daníel Bjarnason
SOLOIST
Martin Kuuskmann

The Iceland Symphony’s concerts at the Dark Music Days festival are highly anticipated events for all enthusiasts of Icelandic and international contemporary music. As the opening event of this year's festival, this concert features recent and notable works from Iceland and Brazil. The opening piece is Balaena by Ingibjörg Ýr Skarphéðinsdóttir, who has in recent years established herself as one of the most interesting composers of her generation in Iceland, graduating from the Iceland Academy of the Arts in 2016. Performed here in a new arrangement for full symphony orchestra, Balaena was premiered by the Reykjavik Chamber Orchestra at the Dark Music Days in 2023, where it garnered great attention.
Marcos Balter is one of Brazil's most exciting contemporary composers. His piece Orun from 2022 draws inspiration from the religious life and contemplative traditions of the Yoruba people in West Africa. The work evokes a meditative atmosphere and utilizes the orchestra's delicate nuances to the fullest. It was premiered by the New World Symphony Orchestra in Florida under the direction of Matthias Pintscher in the autumn of 2022 and received tremendous acclaim.
The concert concludes with the Icelandic premiere of Páll Ragnar Pálsson’s bassoon concerto. Páll Ragnar has been at the forefront of new, Icelandic music for years. The piece was premiered by the Estonian bassoon virtuoso Martin Kuuskmann with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Olari Elts in 2022. Páll Ragnar's connections to Estonia run deep, as he pursued composition studies there, completing his doctoral degree in 2014. In this piece, Páll draws material from Kuuskmann's life and their shared fascination with the nature and culture of Estonia.
The concert is about an hour long, with no intermission.
Jan 24th 2025 - Fri 18:00
Ari Þór and Osmo Vänskä - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

Iceland Symphony Orchestra || January 30st 2025

Harpa - Eldborg
Ari Þór and Osmo Vänskä - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

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Jan 30th 2025 - Thu 19:30
Iceland Symphony Orchestra
PROGRAM
Edward Elgar In the South (Alassio)
Þórður Magnússon Violin Concerto
Jennifer Higdon Concerto for Orchestra
CONDUCTOR
Osmo Vänskä
SOLOIST
Ari Þór Vilhjálmsson

Finnish conductor Osmo Vänskä is an honorary conductor of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, having been its principal conductor from 1993 to 1996, its principal guest conductor from 2014 to 2019 and a frequent a frequent and celebrated guest conductor ever since. The collaboration has been fruitful and the orchestra has performed many unforgettable concerts under his direction. The program of this concert is exceptionally rich and splendid, featuring the premiere of a new violin concerto by Þórður Magnússon with the violinist Ari Þór Vilhjálmsson as soloist. Þórður has been active in the Icelandic music scene for decades, combining in a unique way a fresh, contemporary outlook with a deep and knowledgeable appreciation for the music of the past. The violin concerto will be his fifth work performed by the Iceland Symphony Orchestra.
Violinist Ari Þór Vilhjálmsson played with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra from 2006 to 2015 and now appears as a soloist with the orchestra for the tenth time. He served as the associate concertmaster of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra for many years and currently holds the same position with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in Tel Aviv. In addition to his solo appearances, he has served as guest concertmaster with orchestras such as the Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse in France.
Jennifer Higdon is one of the foremost contemporary composers in the United States. Her work "blue cathedral" received great acclaim last season under the direction of Stéphane Denève. In this concert, the orchestra performs her piece "Concerto for Orchestra," composed in 2002. Echoing Bartók’s work of the same name, Higdon’s concerto for orchestra is in five movements, demanding dazzling virtuosity and musicianship from the orchestra’s players. The concert overture "In the South (Alassio)" was composed by Edward Elgar during a family vacation in Italy. He had intended to compose a conventional symphony but became so captivated by the atmosphere that he instead crafted this enchanting overture, a kind of tone poem infused with Italian colors.
Jan 30th 2025 - Thu 19:30
Eva Conducts Mahler - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

Iceland Symphony Orchestra || February 6th 2025

Harpa - Eldborg
Eva Conducts Mahler - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

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Feb 6th 2025 - Thu 19:30
Iceland Symphony Orchestra
PROGRAM
Anna Þorvaldsdóttir ax
Gustav Mahler Symphony no 9
CONDUCTOR
Eva Ollikainen

Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 9 is a monumental work in every sense of the word. Taking about 90 minutes in performance, it requires a very large symphony orchestra, making full use of the entire orchestral spectrum. This final symphony Mahler completed in his lifetime is a work of grand and profound emotions as well as large-scale formal innovations, a truly majestic farewell to the world. In the words of Herbert von Karajan, “it is music coming from another world, it is coming from eternity”.
Anna Þorvaldsdóttir's work "ax" is an orchestral piece derived from her composition "METAXIS," which premiered in the atrium of Harpa at the Reykjavik Arts Festival in spring 2024. "METAXIS" was composed for a "scattered orchestra and space," where the spacious foyer of Harpa connected separate groups of instrumentalists each playing in their respective corners. Now, Anna has distilled this work into the orchestral piece "ax," to be enjoyed in Eldborg in traditional concert form.
Feb 6th 2025 - Thu 19:30
Pyjama Party - Concerts for Young Listeners - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

Iceland Symphony Orchestra || February 15th 2025

Harpa - Eldborg
Pyjama Party - Concerts for Young Listeners - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

Subscription - Regnbogakort Sinfóníuhljómsveitar Íslands 2024/25:

Feb 15th 2025 - Sat 14:00
Iceland Symphony Orchestra
PROGRAM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (Allegro) : Veigar Margeirsson
CONDUCTOR
Micah Gleason
SOLOISTS
Sigrún Eðvaldsdóttir
Sigurður Flosason
HOST
Barbara the Clown

Get comfortable at the Symphony's pyjama party and enjoy beautiful nocturnal music and sweet lullabies. What could be more delightful than closing your eyes and drifting into the realm of dreams under such melodies? For any pyjama party, a good ghost story is needed, something to keep people awake, at least for a while. Such suspenseful tunes will be played at this concert, but also music that banishes all ghosts, like the theme song from Ghostbusters, making sure all ghosts and goblins hiding in Harpa stay away.
Of course, we encourage concertgoers to attend in pyjamas – stuffed animals welcome.
Feb 15th 2025 - Sat 14:00
The Romantic Symphony - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

Iceland Symphony Orchestra || February 20st 2025

Harpa - Eldborg
The Romantic Symphony - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

Subscription - Regnbogakort Sinfóníuhljómsveitar Íslands 2024/25:

Feb 20th 2025 - Thu 19:30
Iceland Symphony Orchestra
PROGRAM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Die Entführung aus dem Serrail, overture
Lotta Wennäkoski Sigla, harp concerto
Anton Bruckner Symphony no 4, „The Romantic Symphony“
CONDUCTOR
Eva Ollikainen
SOLOIST
Katie Buckley

Monumental in size and profound in content, Anton Bruckner's symphonies have been called cathedrals in sound. Struggling to establish himself as a composer, Bruckner spent most of his life working primarily as an organist and music theory teacher. He was a devout Catholic and composed a significant amount of religious music. Bruckner's Fourth Symphony was in development for a long time and he extensively revised much of it before its premiere in 1881 to great acclaim. He subtitled the symphony "The Romantic," which can be interpreted as a tribute to German Romantic composers, but the work possesses echoes ranging from Weber and Schumann to Wagner.
Katie Buckley has been the principal harpist of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra since 2006, as well as contributing greatly to the new music scene in Iceland through chamber music and various creative projects. Katie describes her initial encounter with Lotta Wennäkoski‘s concerto like this: "I was completely enchanted by the use of extended techniques that I heard and sounded so natural as part of the harp's inherent colors."
Lotta Wennäkoski is one of Finland’s most exciting new composers. She has written orchestral works, operas, chamber music and vocal works and her music is regularly performed worldwide. The composition "Sigla" was premiered and recorded in 2022 by the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, with the recording winning a Gramophone magazine award in the contemporary music category the following year.
The concert begins with the playful overture to The Abduction from the Seraglio by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Feb 20th 2025 - Thu 19:30
Víkingur plays Brahms 75 Year Anniversary Concert - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

Iceland Symphony Orchestra || March 6th & 7th 2025

Harpa - Eldborg
Víkingur plays Brahms 75 Year Anniversary Concert - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

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Mar 6th 2025 - Thu 19:30

Mar 7th 2025 - Fri 19:30
Iceland Symphony Orchestra
PROGRAM
Ingibjörg Ýr Skarphéðinsdóttir Festival overture
Jón Leifs Darraðarljóð
Johannes Brahms Piano Concerto no 2
Richard Strauss Ein Heldenleben
CONDUCTOR
Eva Ollikainen
SOLOIST
Víkingur Ólafsson
CHOIRS
Kór Hallgrimskirkju
Kór Langholtskirkju

In March 2025, The Iceland Symphony Orchestra celebrates the 75th anniversery of its first ever concert. In this celebratory concert, we commemorate this milestone with a selection of great works conducted by ISO’s chief conductor Eva Ollikainen.
Víkingur Ólafsson is one of the most sought-after classical musicians in the world today. This season, he performs with orchestras such as the Berlin, London and New York Philharmonic orchestra, and premieres, among other works, John Adams' new piano concerto with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. Víkingur has received numerous international awards for his performances and his recordings, released by Deutsche Grammophon, have been streamed over 900 million times on major streaming platforms. In this concert, Víkingur takes on Johannes Brahms' second piano concerto, a monumental masterpiece in which soloist and orchestra share everything from from delicate lyricism to intense, symphonic passion.
"Ein Heldenleben," or "A Hero's Life," is one of Richard Strauss's most famous tone poems. Strauss composed the work at the height of his fame as a successful composer and sought-after conductor. In "A Hero's Life," the composer himself becomes the protagonist, a superhero of sorts, confronting the challenges of the world.
The concert begins with a new festive overture by Ingibjörg Ýr Skarphéðinsdóttir, commissioned for the occasion. The programme also features another premiere – that of "Darraðarljóð" (The Poems of Dörruður) by Jón Leifs, one of the pioneers of Icelandic music. Written for choir and orchestra, this work from 1964 is inspired by the mysterious chant of the Norns in the Saga of Burnt Njal.
From the South - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

Iceland Symphony Orchestra || March 13th 2025

Harpa - Eldborg
From the South - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

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Mar 13th 2025 - Thu 19:30
Iceland Symphony Orchestra
PROGRAM
Louise Farrenc Overture no 2
Edouard Lalo Symphonie Espagnole
Manuel de Falla El Sombrero de Tres Picos, suites no 1 and 2
CONDUCTOR
Juanjo Mena
SOLOIST
Páll Palomares

Páll Palomares is the principal second violinist of the ISO and one of Iceland’s foremost violinists, having performed numerous concerts and played solo with symphony orchestras across Europe. Páll, who himself has Spanish roots, performs Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole, a work with which he as a deeply personal connection. "This is the very first piece I played as a soloist, performing the first movement with the Symphony Orchestra in Murcia, Spain, when I was 11 years old. You never forget your first solo performance." Brimming with passion and joie de vivre, it is a work that allows the soloist to showcase both his artistry and virtuosic flair.
"El Sombrero de Tres Picos," or "The Three-Cornered Hat," by Manuel de Falla was originally a ballet premiered in London in 1919. De Falla later transcribed the work into two delightful suites, heavily influenced by Spanish dances.
The concert begins with Overture No. 2 by the French composer Louise Farrenc. Unlike many of her female contemporaries in the early 19th century, Farrenc had a successful career in music and was both a sought-after pianist and composer, in addition to holding a professorship at the Paris Conservatoire. Although she excelled in various forms of composition, she never wrote an opera. However, Overture No. 2 comes close, and easily measures up to the popular opera compositions of 19th-century France in its vigor, richness of ideas and creative joy.
Mar 13th 2025 - Thu 19:30
Arvo Pärt Symphonies - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

Iceland Symphony Orchestra || March 20st 2025

Harpa - Eldborg
Arvo Pärt Symphonies - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

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Mar 20th 2025 - Thu 19:30
Iceland Symphony Orchestra
PROGRAM
Arvo Pärt Symphonies no 1, 2, 3 and 4
CONDUCTOR
Eva Ollikainen

The Estonian composer Arvo Pärt is among the most performed living composers in the world. The tranquil simplicity and almost mystical introspection characterizing many of his works seem to convey a unique message to contemporary audiences. The simplicity in Pärt's later works, often referred to as "holy minimalism," is, however, not as straightforward as it appears. It is the result of years of exploration and experimentation with theory, form, tonality and style.
In 2025, Arvo Pärt celebrates his ninetieth birthday and to mark the occasion, Iceland Symphony Orchestra performs all four of his symphonies in a single concert under the baton of Eva Ollikainen, the orchestra’s chief conductor. Additionally, the symphonies will be recorded for release by British record label Chandos. As the composer himself has stated, each of the four symphonies is like a world of its own. This concert presents a unique opportunity to listen to them in sequence — they serve as milestones in the long artistic and spiritual journey of the composer, with forty-five years separating the first from the fourth.
Mar 20th 2025 - Thu 19:30
Herdís Anna and the Cello Section - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

Iceland Symphony Orchestra - Norðurljós || March 21st 2025

Harpa - Norðurljós
Herdís Anna and the Cello Section - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

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Mar 21st 2025 - Fri 18:00
ENSAMBLE
ISO Cello Section
SOLOIST
Herdís Anna Jónasdóttir
For this concert in the Friday Series, the cello section of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra joins forces with soprano Herdís Anna Jónasdóttir in a captivating and diverse program where Icelandic and South American music converge. The works performed include compositions by Villa-Lobos, Þórður Magnússon, Astor Piazzolla, Magnús Blöndal Jóhannsson and others. Herdís Anna Jónasdóttir, soprano, has been one of the country's foremost vocalists for many years and she has received numerous awards for her artistry — including the Icelandic Music Awards in 2022 and the Gríma Awards in 2019. It is a special delight to hear her bright and tender voice intertwine with the soft and engaging sound of the cello, which otherwise dominates in the programme.
Mar 21st 2025 - Fri 18:00
Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

Iceland Symphony Orchestra || March 27th 2025

Harpa - Eldborg
Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

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Mar 27th 2025 - Thu 19:30
Iceland Symphony Orchestra
PROGRAM
Anna Clyne This Midnight Hour
Sergei Prokofiev Piano Concerto no 3
Pjotr Tchaikovsky Symphony no 6, „Pathétique“
CONDUCTOR
David Danzmayr
SOLOIST
Claire Huangci
It took Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev eight years to complete his third piano concerto. A formidable pianist, he premiered it himself in Chicago in the autumn of 1921. A year later, he performed the piece under the baton of his compatriot Serge Koussevitzky in Paris and it has since been considered one of the greatest piano works of the 20th century. The Chinese-American pianist Claire Huangci perform this thrilling work with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra in this concert, making her second appearance with the orchestra. Her Ravel concerto performance in 2023 was immensely successful and her interpretation garnered praise from a leading Icelandic newspaper as, ”fresh, rich, thrilling and insightful” (Fbl.).
The sixth symphony of Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky, also known as the Pathétique, was his final composition, with Tchaikovsky passing away just nine days after conducting the premiere of the work in St. Petersburg in the autumn of 1893. "I have poured my soul into this symphony," the composer wrote about the piece, considering it his best work. The composition is passionate and melancholic, and instead of resolving its conflicts into triumphant joy, as was common in 19th-century symphonies, it concludes in a particularly original and influential manner; in slow, profound sorrow.
"This Midnight Hour" by British composer Anna Clyne will have its Icelandic premiere at this concert. The work is inspired by the poems "La Música" by Juan Ramón Jiménez and "Harmonie du soir" by Charles Baudelaire. Clyne describes the piece as follows: "Although it does not contain any specific narrative, it is my hope that it evokes a visual journey for the listener."
Mar 27th 2025 - Thu 19:30
Opera Gala with Olafur Kjartan - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

Iceland Symphony Orchestra || April 3rd & 4th 2025

Harpa - Eldborg
Opera Gala with Olafur Kjartan - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

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Apr 3rd 2025 - Thu 19:30

Apr 4th 2025 - Fri 19:30
Iceland Symphony Orchestra
PROGRAM
Opera arias and overtures
CONDUCTOR
Bjarni Frímann Bjarnason
SOLOISTS
Ólafur Kjartan Sigurðarson
Gunnar Björn Jónsson
Kristín Anna Guðmundsdóttir
Kristín Sveinsdóttir
CHOIR
Langholtskirkja Choir
CHOIR CONDUCTOR
Magnús Ragnarsson

Ólafur Kjartan Sigurðarson, Artist in Residence with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra in the current season, has been scaling the heights of the opera world in recent years, with no end in sight. In recent seasons, Ólafur has appeared in leading roles on the biggest stages of the opera world; at La Scala Opera House in Milan and at the Wagner Festival in Bayreuth, Germany.
Here, Ólafur Kjartan invites you to a truly grand soirée — this is an opera gala of the highest caliber, where distinguished guests, the singers Kristín Anna Guðmundsdóttir, Gunnar Björn Jónsson and Kristín Sveinsdóttir, take on various roles and perform alongside Ólafur and the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. Conducting the performance is Bjarni Frímann Bjarnason.
This concert is filled with passionate arias and glorious duets from the greatest operatic gems, such as those by Verdi, Puccini, Giordano and Bizet — a must for those who love beautiful singing and operatic music.
Symphonie Fantastique - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

Iceland Symphony Orchestra || April 10th 2025

Harpa - Eldborg
Symphonie Fantastique - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

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Apr 10th 2025 - Thu 19:30
Iceland Symphony Orchestra
PROGRAM
Arnold Schoenberg Notturno for Strings and Harp Alban Berg
CONDUCTOR
Bertrand de Billy
SOLOIST
Rainer Honeck

Alban Berg's Violin Concerto from 1935 bears a famous dedication — it is "dedicated to the memory of an angel." The angel in question was Manon Gropius, the daughter of Berg's friends, Alma Mahler and Walter Gropius, who tragically died of polio at just 18 years of age. The work is a kind of requiem in concert form, but also became the composer's final completed work before his own untimely death. Although Berg composed the work using the twelve-tone technique, it stands firmly in the musical traditions of earlier centuries, incorporating both major and minor triads and containing references to old folk melodies and Bach chorales. It is both forward-looking and captivatingly beautiful.
Austrian violinist Rainer Honeck is now performing in Eldborg for the second time; in 2017, he led the Vienna - Berlin Chamber Orchestra as concertmaster and performed as a soloist. Critics were barely able to contain their delight with this performance, making it very exciting to have him join forces with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra.
Symphonie Fantastique, by Hector Berlioz, is one of the main works of the Romantic period and is both thrilling and fantastical. The subtitle of the work is "Episode in the Life of an Artist," and the composer‘s depictions of his own life tell a story of passionate, unrequited love and wild, delusional dreams. When Symphonie Fantastique was premiered, it was accompanied by a detailed discussion of the work's storyline in the concert program, a novelty at the time. Berlioz had an absolute faith in the power of music to tell a story.
The concert will be conducted by French conductor Bertrand de Billy, former principal guest conductor of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra.
Apr 10th 2025 - Thu 19:30
Young Soloists 2025 - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

Iceland Symphony Orchestra || April 25th 2025

Harpa - Eldborg
Young Soloists 2025 - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

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Apr 25th 2025 - Fri 19:30
Iceland Symphony Orchestra
CONDUCTOR
Mirian Khukhunaishvili

"Young Soloists" is a musical harvest festival, where students who excel in the solo instrumental and vocal competitions of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and the Iceland Academy of the Arts perform. The competition is open to all university-level music students, regardless of which school they attend. It is safe to say that those who perform here are the future of Icelandic music and it is exciting to watch them take their first steps into the professional world.
The conductor is the Georgian Mirian Khukhunaishvili, who completed his doctorate in orchestral conducting at the Music Academy in Krakow, Poland, in 2020. Khukhunaishvili has won numerous conducting competitions in recent years. He places great emphasis on working with young people and is the founder and music director of the Youth Orchestra in Tbilisi and the choir director at the Iceland Academy of the Arts, where he also teaches orchestral conducting.
This concert is characterized by a unique atmosphere and there is always great anticipation when the winners take the stage with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra in Eldborg.
The names of the winners will be announced on the ISO website at the end of the competition in January.
Apr 25th 2025 - Fri 19:30
The Carnival of the Animals Concerts for Young Listeners - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

Iceland Symphony Orchestra || May 10th 2025

Harpa - Eldborg
The Carnival of the Animals Concerts for Young Listeners - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

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May 10th 2025 - Sat 14:00
Iceland Symphony Orchestra
PROGRAM
W.A. Mozart Musical Joke, 4th movement
W.A. Mozart The Bird Catcher‘s Song from The Magic Flute
Camille Saint-Saens The Carnival of the Animals
CONDUCTOR
Kristian Sallinen
SOLOIST
Jóhann Kristinsson
ILLUSTRATIONS
Rán Flygenring
POEMS
Þórarinn Eldjárn

Joy and humour are the guiding principles of this wonderful carnival concert for the whole family. The program begins with a a brief tour through some of Mozart's most mirthful works and ends with Saint-Saëns' Carnival of the Animals.
Jóhann Kristinsson, singer and presenter, takes on the role of the birdcatcher from The Magic Flute and recites Þórarinn Eldjárn’s witty and delightful poems that accompany Saint Saëns’ masterpiece, The Carnival of the Animals. The animals in the carnival have been beloved companions of music enthusiasts worldwide since the release of this brilliant piece. Each animal has its own voice, echoing from different instruments of the orchestra and their characteristics are vividly brought out in a whimsical manner. Rán Flygenring sits on the big stage, drawing the animals in the carnival, large and small, as the adventure unfolds. The animals thus come alive to the listeners, vividly portrayed on the large canvas of Eldborg Concert Hall, as if conjured by the magical soundscape. With the exception of the movement of The Swan, The Carnival of the Animals was not published until after the composer's death,, as Saint-Saëns felt that the levity of the piece might harm his reputation as a serious composer — the piece was simply too enjoyable.
May 10th 2025 - Sat 14:00
Brahms and Tchaikovsky - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

Iceland Symphony Orchestra || May 15th 2025

Harpa - Eldborg
Brahms and Tchaikovsky - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

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May 15th 2025 - Thu 19:30
Iceland Symphony Orchestra
PROGRAM
Doreen Carwithen ODTAA (One Damn Thing After Another)
Pjotr Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto
Johannes Brahms Symphony no 4
CONDUCTOR
Andrew Manze
SOLOIST
Dmytro Udovychenko

Ukrainian violinist Dmytro Udovychenko is one of the most exciting young violinists in the world, having already garnered numerous awards for his playing and rapidly rising in the classical music firmament. In this concert, he performs the incomparable violin concerto of Pyotr Tchaikovsky, which contains unforgettable melodies and great passions, composed during a tumultuous period in the composer's life. Tchaikovsky composed the work while staying in Switzerland following his separation from a brief and ill-advised marriage and a subsequent suicide attempt. He was inspired by his admiration for a young and exceptionally talented violinist, Iosif Kotek, who reignited the spark of creativity within the composer. The concerto places extraordinary demands on the soloist, making it difficult for Tchaikovsky to find a performer to premiere it.
When Johannes Brahms composed his Fourth Symphony, he was at the height of his career as a composer. The symphony is in many ways unlike its predecessors — although the composer was in good spirits, the work is darker and more melancholic, inspired by Brahms' immersion in the tragedies of Sophocles, and his aim to capture the spirit of Greek tragedy in music. The symphony is full of contrasts, blending warmth with poignant anguish, embodying the two distinct characteristics that Brahms' works often possess: intellectual refinement and emotional explosiveness.
Doreen Carwithen was one of the first female film composers in history and was particularly sought after during the middle of the last century. Like other female composers of her time, Carwithen faced considerable obstacles due to her gender and publishers showed little interest in her works despite their quality and accolades. ODTAA was Carwithen's first orchestral work and this concert provides a unique opportunity to explore this fascinating composer.
May 15th 2025 - Thu 19:30
Britten, Saariaho and Sibelius - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

Iceland Symphony Orchestra || May 30st 2025

Harpa - Eldborg
Britten, Saariaho and Sibelius - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

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May 30th 2025 - Fri 19:30
Iceland Symphony Orchestra
PROGRAM
Benjamin Britten Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes
Benjamin Britten Violin Concerto
Kaija Saariaho Lumière et Pesanteur
Jean Sibelius Symphony no 3
CONDUCTOR
Tabita Berglund
SOLOIST
Ava Bahari

The Swedish Ava Bahari performs Benjamin Britten's Violin Concerto, an evergreen masterpiece filled with emotional drama and playful musicality. Bahari is one of the leading young violinists in the Nordic countries. She made her first appearance with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra at just 8 years old, and has now returned there as Artist in Residence. She has won numerous awards for her violin playing. In the coming season, she appears as a soloist with orchestras such as the London Philharmonic, Helsinki Philharmonic, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra and BBC National Orchestra of Wales – as well as graduating this spring from the Hanns Eisler School of Music in Berlin.
The concert begins with another work by Britten, Four Sea Interludes, originally played between scenes in Britten's opera, Peter Grimes, from 1945. These interludes lead the audience through space and time in the opera's storyline, reflecting the emotional turmoil of the protagonist.
Lumière et Pesanteur by Kaija Saariaho is a profound and spiritually resonant work that embodies a strong religious connection. Saariaho was one of the most renowned contemporary composers in Finland until her passing in 2023. The final piece on the program is the magnificent Symphony no 3 by Sibelius, which envelops the audience with its rich and delicate approach to the symphonic form. Tabita Berglund, one of the leading young conductors in Europe, conducts the concert.
May 30th 2025 - Fri 19:30
A Musical Feast with Barbara Hannigan - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

Iceland Symphony Orchestra || June 5th 2025

Harpa - Eldborg
A Musical Feast with Barbara Hannigan - Iceland Symphony Orchestra

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Jun 5th 2025 - Thu 19:30
Iceland Symphony Orchestra
PROGRAM
Aaron Copland Music for the Theatre
Joseph Haydn Symphony no 90
Jacques Offenbach Movements from La Gaité Parisienne
Kurt Weill Youkali
Kurt Weill Lost in the Stars
CONDUCTOR AND SOLOIST
Barbara Hannigan

Canadian singer and conductor Barbara Hannigan is an exceptional artist who has worked with all major symphony orchestras and opera houses worldwide and has premiered over 90 new works. She has received numerous awards for her artistry, including a Grammy Award for her album "Crazy Girl Crazy" in 2018 and the prestigious Léonie Sonning Music Prize in 2020. Hannigan has performed on three occasions with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, receiving high praise from both critics and audiences every time.
For this concert, Hannigan offers the audience a program where joy and humor take center stage. The concert kicks off with "Music for the Theatre" by Aaron Copland, where jazz and the vitality of the interwar years play a key role. Joseph Haydn was a great humorist and enjoyed surprising his audience. His whimsical humor shines through in Symphony No. 90. The orchestra then performs excerpts selecter by Hannigan from Jacques Offenbach's ballet "La Gaîté Parisienne," and the concert concludes with two irresistible songs by Kurt Weill, performed by Barbara Hannigan.
Hannigan first performed with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra at the opening of the Reykjavik Arts Festival in 2022, to great critical and public acclaim . At concerts the following year, Hannigan received rave reviews and was praised by the critics who wrote: "Hannigan sang, conducted, danced and did it all with superhuman energy. Her singing was full of power and passion, yet her voice was delicate and perfectly shaped. The orchestra played with tremendous fervor... The final climax was so overwhelming that the audience rose to their feet and cheered." Her performances in Reykjavik and Akureyri with Mahler's fourth Symphony in the spring of 2023 also received very strong, positive responses. Her most recent performance with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra came in April 2024, where her rendition of "La Voix Humaine" by Francis Poulenc was hailed for its tremendous artistry and beauty — and she was "cheered like a pop star" (Morgunblaðið). There is certainly more to come in the fruitful collaboration between Hannigan and the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, as it was recently announced that she will become the orchestra's next principal conductor, starting in the fall of 2026.
Jun 5th 2025 - Thu 19:30