The Choir of Hallgrímskirkja - Autumn Concert
The choir of Hallgrímskirkja hosts its autumn concert in Hallgrímskirkja on the 30th of October. The choir will perform British music for organ and choir mixied with new Icelandic music commissioned by the choir. The pieces that will be premired are by Hjálmar H. Ragnarsson, Hildigunnur Rúnarsdóttir, Þorvaldur Örn Davíðsson and Sigurður Sævarsson. The concert will also feature music by Britten, Howells, Carter and Macmillan. The conductor of The Choir of Hallgrímskirkja is Steinar Logi Helgason and the organist is Björn Steinar Sólbergsson. The composers of the new pieces received grants from the Music fund of the national church of Iceland and Stef (Composer’s rights Society of Iceland) and The Composer fund of the National broadcasting service.
The Choir of Hallgrímskirkja was founded in the autumn of 2021. The choir consists of around 45 singers that sing both in services and concerts in Hallgrímskirkja. The choir has a wide range of repertoire and has put emphasis on promoting new Icelandic choir music. This autumn the Choir of Hallgrímskirkja will premiere 5 new pieces by Icelandic composers that have been commissioned by the choir. The choir also has a fruitful collaboration with Brák Baroque Ensemble. The next concert in that collaboration will be a concert on the first Sunday in Advent dedicated to the music of J.S Bach.
Steinar Logi Helgason was born in 1990 and is educated as an organist, pianist and conductor. After studying piano in the Reykjavík College of music Steinar started studying the organ at the Music school of the National church of Iceland and later in the Iceland University of the Arts where he studied under organist Björn Steinar Sólbergsson and finished a Bachelor’s degree in Church music. Steinar furthered his studies in The Royal Danish Academy of music where he started a master’s degree in Church music under Hans Davidsson and later finishing a master’s degree in ensemble conducting. Steinar has performed widely as an organist, pianist and a conductor. Steinar took over the post of choir director in Hallgrímskirkja in August 2021 and is the founder and conductor of The Choir of Hallgrímskirkja.
Björn Steinar Sólbergsson, organist and music-director of Hallgrímskirkja - Reykjavík was born in Akranes, western Iceland in 1961. In 1981 he completed his studies at the National Church School of Music, majoring the organ, before studying for a year in Rome with James E. Goëttsche. Björn Steinar then moved to France where he studied with Susan Landale at the Conservatoire National de Musique de Rueil Malmaison and received the Prix de Virtuosité in summer of 1986.
The same year he was appointeded organist in Akureyri Church, north Iceland, where he became very active in the musiclife of Akureyri.
In the atumun 2006 he was appointed organist in Hallgrímskirkja church in Reykjavík. He is also headmaster of the National Church School of Music in Reykjavík.
Tickets are available at the entrance and on https://tix.is/is/event/
Price 3500 ISK