Interview: "Writes operas but has not given up on pop music"

Maður getur ekki annað en deilt þessari glæsilegu grein sem Ingibjörg Rósa skrifaði um mig á laugardaginn. Við Bartholdy verðum með tónleika 9. og 10. ágúst í Leikfélagi Kópavogs, Funalind 2, kl.21.

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How can I not share with you this beautiful article written by Ingibjörg Rósa and published in Morgunblaðið (newspaper) in Iceland, July 28th, 2013. The title goes something like this: " "Writes operas but has not given up on pop music"

Icelandic summer & a doctorate

Working in Iceland for the summer.

Usually, like for most people, the summer is a time of relaxing for me. This summer I seem to be in demand cause I have to finish a string quartet and about 12 songs for strings and voice for August, then a brass sextet and a chamber opera for September. It´s nice to be in demand, but I wouldnt mind a bit of relaxing time as well.

First up is my first real string quartet and I´ve named it Évariste: Mutter Music. Like the title suggests
I´m using this opportunity to develop and workshop material from Évariste: chamber opera so it will be nice and polished for the workshop with singers at Guildhall school this autumn. The quartet will be premiered at Salurinn, Kópavogur, Iceland, August 7th which is the opening concert for TUF festival (Tónlistarhátíð Unga Fólksins). I was so lucky to be commissioned by the Bartholdy Quartet from the Royal Academy of Music, London.

The subtitle Mutter Music refers to a certain aspect of my doctorate research which has to do with speech analysis and it´s transition into musical melodies and rhythms. Évariste string quartet, along with Bráð chamber opera, will function as a starting point for my 3 year doctorate studies at the Guildhall school, school, starting this September.

Salurinn - Kópavogur concert hall