Kirkjubæjarklaustur Chamber Music Festival!
The annual Kirkjubæjarklaustur Chamber Music Festival will take place this year on 6 – 8 August 2010 in Kirkjubæjarklaustur, southern Iceland. This year marks the festival’s 20th anniversary. Chamber music of different styles from medieval Spanish Sephardic music to the premiere of a new contemporary work by Daníel Bjarnason will be performed by some of the country’s finest classical musicians, including:
Edda Erlendsdóttir, piano
Elfa Rún Kristinsdóttir, violin
Helga Þóra Björgvinsdóttir, violin
Þórunn Ósk Marinósdóttir, viola
Margrét Árnadóttir, cello
Daníel Bjarnason, piano
Francisco Javier Jáuregui, guitar
Guðrún Jóhanna Ólafsdóttir, mezzo-soprano and artistic director
The pianist Edda Erlendsdóttir was awarded this year the Icelandic Music Prize for the Classical Record of the Year and the pianist, conductor and composer Daníel Bjarnason won this year´s Icelandic Music Prize both for the Composition of the Year, Bow to String, and as the Composer of the Year. Bjarnason has been commissioned by the festival to write a new piece, Larkin Songs for mezzo-soprano and piano quintet, which will be premiered in the final concert.
The violinists Elfa Rún Kristinsdóttir and Helga Þóra Björgvinsdóttir, viola player Þórunn Ósk Marinósdóttir and cellist Margrét Árnadóttir are amongst Iceland´s foremost string players and have all performed as soloists with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. In the year 2006 Elfa Rún was awarded both first prize in the Johann Sebastian Bach music competition in Leipzig and the Icelandic Music Prize.
Guðrún Jóhanna Ólafsdóttir, mezzo-soprano and artistic conductor, has won many awards in international singing competitions, recorded various CDs and performed across Europe. Spanish guitarist Francisco Javier Jáuregui has performed both as a soloist and a chamber musician in Europe, the U.S.A. and South-Eastern Asia.
The concerts give people a good chance to enjoy classical music and the beauty of nature in the same place. They have been very popular since the beginning and due to limited accommodation in the vicinity of Kirkjubæjarklaustur guests are advised to book accommodation in advance. The festival is organized by The Skaftárhreppur Cultural Committee.
Tickets cost 2.000 ISK for one concert, 5.000 ISK for three concerts.
Discounts: Over 66 years of age: 1.500 ISK for one concert, 4.500 ISK for three concerts.
Groups: 20% discount for ten people or more.
Information and tickets: www.klaustur.is
