The annual Young Nordic Music Days are held in Reykjavík this year, from August 14th-19th. 35 pieces by 35 composers can be heard and seen in concert and installation format, alongside two lectures by composers Anna Thorvaldsdottir and Raviv Ganchrow. Entrance is free for all events.
More info at https://www.ungnordiskmusik.is/
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Anna Thorvaldsdottir frequently works with large sonic structures that tend to reveal the presence of a vast variety of sustained sound materials, reflecting her sense of imaginative listening to landscapes and nature. Her music tends to portray a flowing world of sounds with an enigmatic lyrical atmosphere.
Anna’s music is frequently performed internationally, and has been featured at several major venues and music festivals such as Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival in NYC, the Composer Portraits Series at NYC's Miller Theatre, the Leading International Composers series at the Phillips Collection in Washington DC, Big Ears Festival, ISCM World Music Days, Nordic Music Days, Ultima Festival, Klangspuren Festival, Beijing Modern Music Festival, Reykjavik Arts Festival, Tectonics, and the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. Her works have been nominated and awarded on many occasions - most notably, Anna is the recipient of the prestigious Nordic Council Music Prize 2012 for her work Dreaming, and The New York Philharmonic's Kravis Emerging Composer Award in 2015.
Some of the orchestras and ensembles that have performed Anna's work and will feature her work in the near future include International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Intercontemporain, NDR Symphony Orchestra, Bang on a Can All-Stars, BIT20, La Jolla Symphony, Musiques Nouvelles, Yarn/Wire, The Crossing, Los Angeles Percussion Quartet, San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, Aarhus Symphony Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, CAPUT Ensemble, Oslo Philharmonic, and Either/Or Ensemble.. In May 2017, Alan Gilbert will lead the New York Philharmonic in Anna’s work Aeriality, part of Gilbert’s final season as Music Director.
Anna holds a PhD from the University of California in San Diego.
Anna’s debut portrait album - Rhízōma - was released in October 2011 through Innova Recordings and was very well received and appeared on a number of “Best of 2011” lists, e.g. at TimeOut New York and TimeOut Chicago.
Anna's portrait album - Aerial - was released by Deutsche Grammophon in November 2014 and appeared on a number of year end lists, e.g. at New Yorker Magazine, Boston Globe, iTunes Classical, and WQXR's Q2.
In the Light of Air was released by Sono Luminus in August 2015, performed by ICE and appeared on a number of year end lists, e.g. at the New York Times,The New Yorker, Boston Globe, NPR Classical, and Chicago Reader.
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When not engaged in music-related activities, Anna may be found doing yoga or walking in nature, seeking inspiration for music and life. Anna is married to Hrafn Ásgeirsson, PhD in philosophy, avant-garde saxophone player and recreational photographer.
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Ungir tónsmiðir af Norðurlöndunum koma saman í Reykjavík 14. - 19. ágúst næstkomandi í tilefni af hinni árlegu tónlistarhátíð Ung Nordisk Musik. Yfirskrift hátíðinnar verður að þessu sinni Music and Space, en alls taka 35 tónskáld þátt í hátíðinni sem færist á milli Norðurlandanna á hverju ári. Sjö tónleikar verða haldnir yfir vikuna, auk tveggja fyrirlestra á vegum tónskáldanna Önnu Þorvaldsdóttur og Raviv Ganchrow. Hátíðin sýnir þverskurð af því nýjasta sem er að gerast hjá ungum tónskáldum, og er hvert verk sérvalið af dómnefnd til þáttöku á hátíðinni. Tónleikar munu fara fram víðsvegar - í Hörpu, Fríkirkjunni, Norræna Húsinu, Húrra, Skálholtskirkju, Listasafni Íslands og Listaháskóla Íslands. Aðgangur er ókeypis á alla viðburði.
Nánari upplýsingar má finna á https://www.ungnordiskmusik.is/
ENGLISH BELOW
Tónskáldið og rafgítarleikarinn Hafdís Bjarnadóttir býður upp á plötuhlustunarviðburð í Mengi á fertugsafmælisdeginum sínum. Hlustað verður á plötuna Já, sem verður enn óútkomin þegar viðburðurinn fer fram. Platan, sem kemur út í haust, er sú þriðja og síðasta í trílógíunni Nú - Jæja - Já. Líkt og á fyrri plötunum tveimur fer Hafdís vítt og breytt í tónsköpun sinni og blandar saman ólíkum stílum og hljóðfærum. Boðið verður upp á léttar veitingar, auk þess sem drykkir verða á sérstöku tilboði.
Úr gagnrýni um Nú:
“Öll skil á milli há- og lágmenningar, sí- og núgildrar tónlistar eru látin lönd og leið, stefnum er hrært saman blygðunarlaust og öllum skilgreiningum gefið langt nef. (…) Ég hlýt nú samt að mega gera tilraun til að lýsa því sem fram fer á diskinum, líkt og Hafdís gerir tilraunir með sinn efnivið. Hvað segið þið um djass-skotið sýrupopp með endurreisnarblæ og rokkaðri melódíu? Eða tilraunakennt rokkpopp, undir áhrifum frá Beefheart og Zappa, en þó gætt útvarpsvænum eiginleikum með viðkomu í djassi og nútímatónlist? Eða kannski kammer-pönk með djæf-ívafi? Eða…” - Arnar Eggert Thoroddsen fyrir Morgunblaðið, desember 2002
www.hafdisbjarnadottir.com
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Composer and electric guitarist Hafdís Bjarnadóttir invites you to an album listening event at Mengi on her 40th birthday. The album is her upcoming Já, which will still be unreleased at the time of the event. Já is due for release this autumn and will complete the trilogy Nú - Jæja - Já. Like her previous albums, Já promises to be a miscellany of styles and instruments from different traditions. There will be light refreshments and attractively priced beverages on offer.
From a review of Nú:
"All distinction between high and low art, including between classical and contemporary music, is thrown out the window. Styles are mixed unabashedly and definitions completely ignored. (...) The songs are hard to fit into categories. (...) How about jazz-influenced acid pop with a tinge of classical Renaissance music and rock melodies? Or experimental rock/pop influenced by Beefheart and Zappa, still remaining radio-friendly, with a nod to jazz and modern classical music? Or perhaps chamber punk with a touch of jive? Or..." - Arnar Eggert Thoroddsen, Icelandic daily newspaper Morgunbladid, December 2002
www.hafdisbjarnadottir.com
Tónleikar og kvikmyndasýning í Mengi fimmtudagskvöldið 17. ágúst klukkan 21. Bandaríski slagverksleikarinn Eric Derr flytur Psappha, tímamótaverk gríska tónskáldsins Iannis Xenakis auk eigin tónlistar og bandaríska myndistar- og kvikmyndagerðarkonan Frankie Martin sýnir kvikmynd sína 'We are wild dogs with turquoise fur laughing at full moons'.
Viðburður hefst klukkan 21 og er miðaverð 2000 krónur. Hægt er að kaupa miða við innganginn eða í gegnum booking@mengi.net
Eric Derr hefur verið ötull flytjandi tónlistar 20. og 21. aldarinnar. Hann hefur hvort tveggja frumflutt ný verk sem samin hafa verið sérstaklega fyrir hann auk þess sem hann hefur flutt mörg af lykilverkum 20. aldarinnar fyrir slagverkið. Á meðal tónleika sem hann hefur komið fram á má nefna tónleika í tónleikaröð Fílharmóníusveitar Los Angeles, í Grænu regnhlífaröðinni (Green Umbrella Series), í mándagstónleikaröðinni MEC, í Art & Music tónleikaröð Listasafns Los Angeles (LACMA), í Miller leikhúsinu og á Tune-In tónlistarhátíðinni í New York. Að auki má nefna tónleika á tónlistarhátíðinni SFCMP í San Fransisco, á Ojai tónlistarhátíðinni og á Ojai North! í Berkeley. Hann hefur að auki komið fram með samtímatónlistarhópnum Bang On A Can All-Stars, með International Contemporary Ensemble og með Ensemble Dal Niente í Chicago. Eric er með doktorsgráðu í flutningi nýrrar tónlistar frá Kalliforníuháskóla, San Diego og gegnir nú rannsóknarstöðu við Temple University í Fíladelfí.
Bandaríska listakonan Frankie Martin er búsett í Fíladelfíu. Í Mengi mun hún sýna verk sitt 'We are wild dogs with turquoise fur laughing at full moons'. Kvikmyndin var gerð árið 2013 og á meðal listamanna sem koma við sögu í verkinu er íslenski flautuleikarinn Berglind María Tómasdóttir auk annarra listamanna, tónlistarmanna og tónskálda sem eru í vinahópi Frankie Martin.
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A concert / film - screening at Mengi on Thursdy, August 17th at 9pm with US percussionist / composer Eric Derr and US artist Frankie Martin.
Eric Derr will perform Iannis Xenakis' landmark solo percussion composition, Psappha along with presenting his own original electronic composition, inspired by English change-ringing patterns, and the structure of Franz Schubert's song, die Erlkönig. Frankie Martin will present her film 'We are wild dogs with turquoise fur laughing at full moons'.
Tickets: 2000 isk - at the door or through booking@mengi.net.
Eric Derr is committed to commissioning and presenting new, vibrant, sustainable works for percussion as well as revisiting classic pieces with focus and intensity.
Eric has performed in concerts at the LA Philharmonic's Green Umbrella Series, Monday Evening Concerts, and LACMA's Art & Music Series (Los Angeles), Miller Theatre and the Tune-In Festival (New York City), Sweet Thunder: The SFCMP Festival of Electro-Acoustic Music (San Francisco), the Ojai Music Festival, Ojai North! (Berkeley) and alongside celebrated chamber ensembles Bang on a Can All-Stars and eighth blackbird. With the International Contemporary Ensemble, Eric has appeared at the Mostly Mozart Festival, the Park Avenue Armory, and Spectrum (New York City). Eric has also played with Chicago-based Ensemble Dal Niente since 2007 with highlight performances at the Library of Congress and in Residence at Harvard University.
Eric holds a doctorate in contemporary music performance from the University of California, San Diego, and serves on the music theory faculty at Temple University in Philadelphia.
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Frankie Martin is an American artist living in Philadelphia, PA. Frankie's video work radically rethinks social tropes, online identities, relationships and normative behavior. This event will be the international premier of Frankie's first feature length video entitled, We are wild dogs with turquoise fur laughing at full moons. The video was made in 2013 and stars Icelandic flutist Berglind Tómasdóttir among other artists, musicians and composer friends of Frankie. Beyond their acting roles, the artistic work of the cast is featured within the video.
Synopsis:
Comedy and art collide in this semi fictional portrait of Frankly, a young sculptor who is seeking to make something of worth. Frankly is part of The Hands of Light, a female art collective, whose unity is disrupted by the screens present in their daily lives. The one person who reaches beyond the screen to Frankly is Shithead, a cross-dressing crust punk who unintentionally threatens her sense of purpose.
Frankiemartin.org
Davíð "gamli" Berndsen snýr vínylplötum og stýrir stemmningunni á Húrra fimmtudagskvöldið. 17. ágúst 2017.
Frítt inn og næs tilboð á barnum.
