Organsummer in Hallgrímskirkja

Guðný Einarsdóttir, organist at Háteigskirkja, Reykjavík and Ásta Soffía Þorgeirsdóttir perform music for organ and accordion at The Organsummer in Hallgrímskirkja. The program will include pieces by Piazzolla and Boulanger as well as Icelandic tangoes and an old Swedish psalm.

Guðný Einarsdóttir graduated from the department of musical education at the Reykjavík College of Music and as an organist from the Music School of the National Church in Iceland Guðný studied church music at the Danish Royal Academy for Music in Copenhagen and alongside her studies conducted, and was one of the founders of, the chamber choir Staka. After graduating Guðný was the organist at the church of the Danish congregation in Paris alongside further studies in organ performance.

Guðný has given many concerts at home and abroad, performed as a soloist, accompanist and conductor, and taught both piano and organ performance. She has published two CDs of organ works one of which, the combined organ works of the Icelandic composer Jón Nordal, was nominated for the Icelandic Music Awards. Guðný wrote a children's book named Sally Piper's big tootle day, a musical adventure for children about the wondrous world of the pipe organ. Guðný is currently the organist at Háteigskirkja church in Reykjavík and is the conductor of Kordía, the choir of Háteigskirkja.

Ásta Soffía Þorgeirsdóttir (1995) aimed, from a young age, towards utilising the versatile soundscape of the accordion to arrange and play diverse music on the instrument. She has got years of experience working with musicians and composers, and she has played at numerous concerts and festivals in Iceland, Scandinavia and Germany. In the spring of 2021 she received a grant from the Culture Fund of the Central Bank of Iceland to research Icelandic 20th century Tango heritage. She has organised many music projects, including ones funded by the Music Fund of Rannís and the Culture Fund of Iceland and Norway. Ásta Soffía finished her masters degree in music performance from die Musikhochschule in Freiburg with distinction in the autumn of 2020. Before that, she finished a bachelors degree, also in music performance and with distinction, from the Music Academy of Oslo. In Iceland Ásta Soffia studied music for a dimploma from the Arts Academy of Iceland, and for one winter at the Music Academy of FÍH in Reykjavík, along with her highschool education. Ásta Soffía grew up in Húsavík in North Iceland, where she benefited from an encouraging and inspiring musical upbringing by Árni Sigurbjarnarson at the Húsavík Music School from a young age. She was also engulfed by the rich culture scene of Þingeyjarsýsla and Akureyri. Ásta Soffia achieved the title of Norwegian Champion in accordion playing for adults, in the year of 2018.