Reykjavík

There is nothing that better highlights the anticipation of Advent than the graceful and warm music of the classical period. From Mozart's opera about Queen Idomeneo comes graceful ballet music that is popular on its own in concert halls around the world, outside the context of the opera. Geirþrúður Anna Guðmundsdóttir performs a solo in the light-hearted D-major cello concerto by another master of the classical era, Joseph Haydn, whose concertos for the instrument are the absolute core works of cello literature and always manage to captivate audiences. Rarely performed, however, is a symphony by Marianna Martines, who is generally considered to have been the first woman to compose a symphony. She managed to cultivate her musical talents despite living in the male-dominated world of the eighteenth-century Austrian music scene. Finally, Conductor Matthew Halls conducts Mozart's so-called Linz Symphony, named after the Austrian city, where the composer lived briefly in 1783 and put the city firmly on the world map of music history with this sun-drenched symphony.

Conductor
Mathew Halls

Cello
Geirþrúður Anna Guðmundsdóttir

Program
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Ballet music from Idomeneo
Joseph Haydn Concerto for Cello No. 2
Marianna Martines Symphony in C
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No.36, "Linz"

Promoter: Sinfóníuhljómsveit Íslands

Sinfóníuhljómsveit Íslands

Matthew Halls

Geirþrúður Anna Guðmundsdóttir

Balletmusik fra Idomeneo

Idomeneo Ballet Music

Balettmusikk fra Idomeneo

Cellokoncert nr. 2

Cello Concerto No. 2

Cellokonsert nr. 2

Symfoni i C-dur

Symphony in C

Symfoni nr. 36

Symphony No. 36

Advent Concert at the Symphony

Harpa er tónlistar- og ráðstefnuhús við höfnina í Reykjavík, með salina Eldborg og Norðurljós.

Harpa

ANNE SOFIE VON OTTER MAKES HER HARPA DEBUT

Harpa welcomes Anne Sofie von Otter for her long-awaited Icelandic debut, joined by her close artistic partner Bengt Forsberg, guitarist Fabian Fredriksson and Icelandic soprano Álfheiður Erla Guðmundsdóttir.

Anne Sofie will bring her celebrated Christmas programme to Icelandic audiences. Works by Schubert, Wolf, Sibelius, Bach, Fauré, Ravel, Pärt and others come together in a programme that moves between the reflective stillness of the Nordic winter and the warmth and familiarity of the festive season.


The concert also marks the launch of Ópus Reykjavík, a new artistic event series founded by Álfheiður Erla Guðmundsdóttir, which aims, among other things, to foster creative collaborations between outstanding international artists and Iceland’s artistic community. The concert is presented jointly by Ópus Reykjavík and Harpa.

The concert will take place in Norðurljós, with limited seating available.

 

DUE TO HIGH DEMAND, AN ADDITIONAL CONCERT WITH ANNE SOFIE VON OTTER HAS BEEN ADDED AT 6:00 pm ON DECEMBER 10! GENERAL TICKET SALES FOR THE 6:00 pm CONCERT WILL OPEN ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9 AT 9:00 AM.




Renowned for her unparalleled and multi award-winning discography, mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter’s creative versatility has seen her work with legendary artists ranging from the late greats of Carlos Kleiber, Claudio Abbado and Giuseppe Sinopoli to Elvis Costello, Brad Mehldau and Rufus Wainwright.

An ever-evolving repertoire has played a key role in sustaining Swedish-born von Otter’s international profile, from an early position as the superlative Octavian (Der Rosenkavalier) of her generation, to her acclaimed creation of Leonora in the world premiere of Thomas Adès’ The Exterminating Angel at Salzburger Festspiele and Royal Ballet & Opera. Performance highlights in later seasons include as Madame de Croissy in Oliver Py’s staging of Dialogues des Carmélites at Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, as Marcellina (Le nozze di Figaro) in Christof Loy’s production at Bayerische Staatsoper, and as L’Opinion Publique (Orphée aux Enfers) in Barrie Kosky’s staging at Salzburger Festspiele. Adding further to an already impressive catalogue of opera repertoire, more recently there have been role debuts as the Countess (Pique Dame) at La Monnaie under Nathalie Stutzmann and Adelaide (Arabella) at Teatro Real under David Afkham.

Equally recognised as a concert and recital singer of exceptional gifts, von Otter’s career has taken her around the globe as a regular presence on the world’s most prestigious stages excelling in a diverse repertoire including works by Mahler, Berlioz, Bach and Kurt Weill, and her expansive Lieder recordings range from classics by Schubert, Schumann, Wolf and Mahler, through lesser-known compilations from Cécile Chaminade, Korngold, Peterson-Bergen and Stenhammar.

Anne Sofie von Otter is one of today’s most recorded artists with an incomparable catalogue built across a career now spanning more than four decades at the top of her profession. A lengthy and exclusive relationship with Deutsche Grammophon produced a wealth of acclaimed recordings including the GRAMMY-winning Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn with Claudio Abbado, Handel’s Ariodante, Giulio Cesare and Hercules with Marc Minkowski and a collaboration with pop legend Elvis Costello on For the Stars. On Naïve Classique, her double CD of Mélodies and Chansons, Douce France, received the 2015 Grammy Award for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album. von Otter immortalized many of her operatic characters on disc: Octavian with Bernard Haitink and the Staatskapelle Dresden and on DVD with Wiener Staatsoper under Carlos Kleiber; Cherubino (Le nozze di Figaro) under James Levine; La clemenza di Tito and Orfeo ed Euridice under Sir John Eliot Gardiner; and Ariadne auf Naxos under Giuseppe Sinopoli. Her latest album Berlin! Berlin! Berlin! Kabarett und Exil is an eclectic recital of musical numbers spanning the music of 1920s to 1940s Germany in collaboration with the Salon Orchestra of the Komische Oper Berlin and Adam Benzwi is released on BIS.



An award-winning soprano and visual artist, Álfheiður Erla Guðmundsdóttir was named Singer of the Year in the Classical and Contemporary Music category at the 2021 Icelandic Music Awards. A former ensemble member of Theater Basel and a 2025/26 ECHO Rising Star, she has appeared at leading European opera houses and concert halls including Staatsoper Berlin, Theater Basel, the Elbphilharmonie, the Concertgebouw Amsterdam and the Philharmonie de Paris. She recently made a major international breakthrough in contemporary opera with her acclaimed portrayal of the title role in Unsuk Chin’s Alice in Wonderland, presented in its Austrian premiere in Vienna, where her performance was widely praised for its dramatic precision and vocal virtuosity. This season she continues her close engagement with new music through two major staged world premieres: Hania Rani’s If I Do Not Return and Bryce Dessner’s Herakles Mad to libretto by Anne Carson, in collaboration with the Icelandic visual artist Ragnar Kjartansson.

“Anne Sofie has been a role model for me ever since I began studying singing. Her curiosity, sincerity and the beauty of her voice have had a profound influence on me and shaped me as both a singer and an artist. To now have the opportunity to welcome her to Reykjavík and sing alongside her therefore holds a very special meaning for me. I could not imagine a better beginning for Ópus Reykjavík.”

— Álfheiður Erla Guðmundsdóttir

Bengt Forsberg has long been one of the most highly regarded and sought-after pianists of his generation and has enjoyed a fruitful artistic partnership with Anne Sofie von Otter spanning several decades. Together they have recorded numerous acclaimed albums that have attracted international attention and received a wealth of awards and honours, including celebrated recordings of songs by Edvard Grieg, Jean Sibelius and Franz Schubert, among many others.

Forsberg’s repertoire is exceptionally broad, and he has devoted particular attention to music by forgotten and lesser-known masters of the past. His repertoire includes solo piano works by Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Charles-Valentin Alkan, Emmanuel Chabrier and Kaikhosru Sorabji, while his recordings also feature works by composers including Godard, Boëllmann, Koechlin, Pierné and Alfvén.

He has collaborated with numerous artists in art song and chamber music, most notably, in addition to Anne Sofie von Otter, violinist Nils-Erik Sparf and cellist Mats Lidström.

Promoter: Harpa

Anne Sofie von Otter

Bengt Forsberg

Fabian Fredriksson

Álfheiður Erla Guðmundsdóttir

Christmas Concert with Anne Sofie von Otter

The Iceland Symphony Orchestra's Christmas concert is a true festive moment for Christmas children of all ages. As usual, the atmosphere in Eldborg is festive, as young instrumentalists and ballet dancers, along with soloists and choirs, present guests with a splendid and diverse programme. Classic Christmas songs intertwine with classic fairy tales that get everyone in the holiday spirit. Maximus Musicus puts on his red hat and Barbara the clown performs her familiar and warm Christmas meditation that strikes a chord in every heart. This is a family concert, tailored to young audiences, and the concert lasts about one hour without intermission. The concert is interpreted in sign language.


Conductor
Nicholas Swensen

Soprano
Álfheiður Erla Guðmundsdóttir

Tenor
Jóhann Kristinsson

Sign language
Kolbrún Völkudóttir

Host
Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir

Choirs
Reykjavik Girls' Choir
Aurora Chamber Choir

Guests
Dancers from the Icelandic Ballet School
Bell Choir of the Reykjanesbær School of Music
Bell Choir of Tónstofa Valgerðar
Kópavogur School Choir
Harp ensemble

Promoter: Sinfóníuhljómsveit Íslands

Nicholas Swensen

Jóhann Kristinsson

The Iceland Symphony's Christmas Concert - Family Concert

Christmas concerts 2026 in Reykjavík

3. Dec

19:30

Harpa

Reykjavík

Advent Concert at the Symphony

Sinfóníuhljómsveit Íslands

Conductor: Mathew Halls

Geirþrúður Anna Guðmundsdóttir, cello

3. Dec

19:30

Harpa

Reykjavík

10. Dec

18:00

Harpa

Reykjavík

Christmas Concert with Anne Sofie von Otter

Anne Sofie von Otter, mezzosopran

Bengt Forsberg, klaver

Fabian Fredriksson, guitar

Álfheiður Erla Guðmundsdóttir, sopran

10. Dec

18:00

Harpa

Reykjavík

10. Dec

20:30

Harpa

Reykjavík

Christmas Concert with Anne Sofie von Otter

Anne Sofie von Otter, mezzosopran

Bengt Forsberg, klaver

Fabian Fredriksson, guitar

Álfheiður Erla Guðmundsdóttir, sopran

10. Dec

20:30

Harpa

Reykjavík

12. Dec

14:00

Harpa

Reykjavík

The Iceland Symphony's Christmas Concert - Family Concert

Sinfóníuhljómsveit Íslands

Conductor: Nicholas Swensen

Álfheiður Erla Guðmundsdóttir, soprano

Jóhann Kristinsson, tenor

12. Dec

14:00

Harpa

Reykjavík

12. Dec

16:00

Harpa

Reykjavík

The Iceland Symphony's Christmas Concert - Family Concert

Sinfóníuhljómsveit Íslands

Conductor: Nicholas Swensen

Álfheiður Erla Guðmundsdóttir, soprano

Jóhann Kristinsson, tenor

12. Dec

16:00

Harpa

Reykjavík

13. Dec

14:00

Harpa

Reykjavík

The Iceland Symphony's Christmas Concert - Family Concert

Sinfóníuhljómsveit Íslands

Conductor: Nicholas Swensen

Álfheiður Erla Guðmundsdóttir, soprano

Jóhann Kristinsson, tenor

13. Dec

14:00

Harpa

Reykjavík

13. Dec

16:00