Ad Genua

A wonderful recording from the performance of Ad Genua at Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart festival in August 2016 - performed by The Crossing & International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE).

Text by Guðrún Eva Mínervudóttir.

Sequences

Wonderful to share this great recording from the premiere of Sequences performed by The International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) at the New York Public Library in September 2016 ❀

Bass Flute: Alice Tessier
Bass Clarinet: Campbell MacDonald
Contrabassoon: Rebekah Heller
Baritone Saxophone: Ryan Muncy

Recorded by ICE and the New York Public Library

Seven Responses

It is wonderful to be in Philadelphia for the Seven Responses Project - a beautiful passion project of conductor Donald Nally that has been in the planning for a long time. The project is about to take place this coming weekend, on June 24th and 25th. There will be 7 premieres by composers Caroline Shaw, David T. Little, Hans Thomalla. Lewis Spratlan, Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen, Santa Ratniece & myself, along with a performance of Buxtehude's Membra Jesu Nostri. The works will be performed by the Crossing Choir, International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) and Quicksilver Baroque under the direction of Donald Nally.

It has been a great pleasure taking part in this project - it was truly heartwarming to work with the text by Guðrún Eva Mínervudóttir who wrote beautiful lyrics for me to put music to, and to have the piece as part of this larger project is really something special.

With warmth
Anna

 

For more information about the project see here
The Seven Responses program
Who is Seven Responses?

UR_ at the Reykjavik Arts Festival

The Iceland premiere of the chamber opera UR_ will take place at the Reykjavik Arts Festival on June 4th where we will have an intimate setting for the work in Norðurljós concert hall at Harpa Concert and Conference Center.

Baldur Brönnimann and I had a talk before the premiere of UR_ in Trier last September where he directed the performance.

UR_

Composer: Anna Thorvaldsdottir
Director: Thorleifur Orn Arnarsson
Stage design: Anna Run Tryggvadottir
Text: Anna Thorvaldsdottir & Mette Karlsvik
Producer: Arnbjorg Maria Danielsen - Far North

Mezzo Soprano: Melis Jaatinen
Baritone: Joa Helgesson
Vocalist: Sofia Jernberg
Piano: Tinna Thorsteinsdottir
Actor: Mike Thomsen
Production assistant: Ornolfur Eldon Thorsson
Conductor: Bjarni Frimann Bjarnason
Ensemble: CAPUT

Ad Genua

*

It has been an amazing journey working on the new piece for The Crossing and ICE for the 7 Responses Project. I was initially asked to choose a writer/poet to write the text and my mind immediately went to writer Guðrún Eva Mínervudóttir. She wrote a wonderful text that I have been working with for quite a while now and each word has continued to bloom throughout the process of writing the music. It is such a gift to the musical language to have her amazing words lead the voices in their expression.

*

The piece is ready now and I wanted to share her text here

I fall to my knees
I fall
I fall
I fall
to my knees and ask
forgiveness for
lazy thoughts,
unseemly hunger
and
the beautiful, wild stampede of my fear

I fall to my knees
I fall
I fall
I fall
to my knees and into
the dark haze
of the purple, innocent sky
I fall deep into the sky and beg
for clarity,
true satisfaction
and union of the soul

I give myself up
I give
I give up

I fall to my knees
I fall
I fall
I fall
to my knees and worship
the eternal music

*

The piece will be premiered, along with the other 7 Responses works, in Philadelphia in June and the program will also be performed at the Mostly Mozart Festival in August in New York City

*

I am so thankful to be a part of this wonderful project

UR_

I'm excited to share some fragments from UR_ taken at a show at the Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival in September 2015

 

UR_ chamber opera by Anna Thorvaldsdottir

Composer - Anna Thorvaldsdottir
Director - Thorleifur Orn Arnarsson
Stage design - Anna Run Tryggvadottir
Text - Anna Thorvaldsdottir & Mette Karlsvik
Producer - Arnbjorg Maria Danielsen - Far North

Soprano - Melis Jaatinen
Baritone - Joa Helgesson
Vocalist - Sofia Jernberg
Piano - Tinna Thorsteinsdottir
Actor - Mike Thomsen
Production assistant - Ornolfur Eldon Thorsson
Conductor - Bjarni Frimann Bjarnason
Ensemble - Bit20

Recorded at Ultima Oslo 2015

Far North in collaboration with Theater Trier & Ultima Oslo

Supported by Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation, The Nordic Cultre Point, Air Iceland
and the Norwegian Arts Council

The reception of In the Light of Air has been heartwarming ❀

UR_

UR_ will be premiered at Theater Trier on September 11th 2015 and will be featured at Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival at the Norwegian Opera And Ballet on September 18th and 19th.

In the Light of Air

Today is the official release of In the Light of Air on Sono Luminus performed by the International Contemporary Ensemble.

Here is a video that Sono Luminus did for the first movement of the work and was premiered at I care if you listen in August - video material by Collin J Rae & Hrafn Asgeirsson