Hallgrímskirkja Choir Autumn Concert The soul of Czech music in the heart of Reykjavík

The soul of Czech music in the heart of Reykjavík

Lunchtime concert at Hallgrímskirkja

Saturday, October 4, 2025 at 12:00

Tickets are sold at Hallgrímskirkja and at tix.is.

Ticket price: 2,900 kr.

Lenka Mateova was born in Czechoslovakia. She graduated as a cantor from the Kromeříž Conservatory and completed her master's degree at the Academy of Music in Prague. During her studies, she won many awards in her home country and has performed solo in many parts of Europe. Lenka has worked in Iceland since 1990, first in Stöðvarfjörður, then from 1993-2007 as cantor at Fella- og Hóla Church and from 2007 – 2024 at Kópavogur Church. She has also participated in chamber and choral concerts in Iceland and performed as a soloist on the organ. In addition to her work in churches, Lenka has taught organ playing at the National Church Music School, the Iceland Academy of the Arts and has performed with the Reykjavík Men's Choir, Reykjavík Boys' Choir, Motett Choir and Hljómeykir in concerts in Iceland and abroad, as well as in recordings for television, radio and CDs. In recent years, Lenka has increasingly taken on choral conducting duties and has been appointed as the choir director of the Kópavogur Samkór. She has also been the substitute conductor of the Reykjavík Male Choir, the Cathedral Choir and the University Choir.

Viera Gulázsi Maňásková studied organ at the PJ Vejvanovský Music School in Kroměříž under the guidance of Professor Karel Pokora. After graduating, she worked as a rehearsal director and actress at the Horácké Theatre in Jihlava. In 1991, she moved to Iceland and officially began her musical career here.

She served as organist and choirmaster at Seltjarnarnes Church in Reykjavík, and founded the annual music festival, the Seltjarnarnes Arts Festival, which she directed for many years. She continued her musical education and studied opera singing at the New School of Music in Reykjavík under the guidance of Alina Dubik.

After completing her studies, Viera began her career as a soloist. In 2007, she performed as a soloist with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and also sang with several Icelandic chamber ensembles. In the same year, she began collaborating with the chamber ensemble Virtuosi di Praga as a soloist, touring Slovakia and numerous cities in the Czech Republic, including the Klementinum and Rudolfinum in Prague. Viera is active on the concert stage and sings with various chamber groups and regularly performs with a pianist. She has, among other things, given outdoor concerts in Southern Italy.

In recent years, she has been in a "duet collaboration" with pianist Ema Jedlička Gogová, guitarist Vladislav Bláha, and organist Lenka Máteová.

Since 2022, she has served as the director of the Vyškov Cultural Center.

Table of contents:

Antonin Dvorak: The Lord is My Shepherd, Biblical Songs, Op. 99

Leos Janacek: Hail Mary

Bohuslav Martinů: Vigils, H. 382

Antonin Dvorak: Evening Songs, Op. 31, selection

All You Who Are Weary

I Am Like a Spreader

Linden Tree

When I Looked Up to the Heavens

Antonin Dvorak: Song to the Moon, Rusalka's Aria from the opera Rusalka

HALLGRÍMSKIRKJA – YOUR CONCERT VENUE