Anna Thorvaldsdottir - Lecture 2 - UNM Reykjavík 2017
The annual Young Nordic Music Days are held in Reykjavík this year, from August 14th-19th. 35 pieces by 35 composers can be heard and seen in concert and installation format, alongside two lectures by composers Anna Thorvaldsdottir and Raviv Ganchrow. Entrance is free for all events.
More info at https://www.ungnordiskmusik.is/
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Anna Thorvaldsdottir frequently works with large sonic structures that tend to reveal the presence of a vast variety of sustained sound materials, reflecting her sense of imaginative listening to landscapes and nature. Her music tends to portray a flowing world of sounds with an enigmatic lyrical atmosphere.
Anna’s music is frequently performed internationally, and has been featured at several major venues and music festivals such as Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival in NYC, the Composer Portraits Series at NYC's Miller Theatre, the Leading International Composers series at the Phillips Collection in Washington DC, Big Ears Festival, ISCM World Music Days, Nordic Music Days, Ultima Festival, Klangspuren Festival, Beijing Modern Music Festival, Reykjavik Arts Festival, Tectonics, and the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. Her works have been nominated and awarded on many occasions - most notably, Anna is the recipient of the prestigious Nordic Council Music Prize 2012 for her work Dreaming, and The New York Philharmonic's Kravis Emerging Composer Award in 2015.
Some of the orchestras and ensembles that have performed Anna's work and will feature her work in the near future include International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Intercontemporain, NDR Symphony Orchestra, Bang on a Can All-Stars, BIT20, La Jolla Symphony, Musiques Nouvelles, Yarn/Wire, The Crossing, Los Angeles Percussion Quartet, San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, Aarhus Symphony Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, CAPUT Ensemble, Oslo Philharmonic, and Either/Or Ensemble.. In May 2017, Alan Gilbert will lead the New York Philharmonic in Anna’s work Aeriality, part of Gilbert’s final season as Music Director.
Anna holds a PhD from the University of California in San Diego.
Anna’s debut portrait album - Rhízōma - was released in October 2011 through Innova Recordings and was very well received and appeared on a number of “Best of 2011” lists, e.g. at TimeOut New York and TimeOut Chicago.
Anna's portrait album - Aerial - was released by Deutsche Grammophon in November 2014 and appeared on a number of year end lists, e.g. at New Yorker Magazine, Boston Globe, iTunes Classical, and WQXR's Q2.
In the Light of Air was released by Sono Luminus in August 2015, performed by ICE and appeared on a number of year end lists, e.g. at the New York Times,The New Yorker, Boston Globe, NPR Classical, and Chicago Reader.
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When not engaged in music-related activities, Anna may be found doing yoga or walking in nature, seeking inspiration for music and life. Anna is married to Hrafn Ásgeirsson, PhD in philosophy, avant-garde saxophone player and recreational photographer.
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Ungir tónsmiðir af Norðurlöndunum koma saman í Reykjavík 14. - 19. ágúst næstkomandi í tilefni af hinni árlegu tónlistarhátíð Ung Nordisk Musik. Yfirskrift hátíðinnar verður að þessu sinni Music and Space, en alls taka 35 tónskáld þátt í hátíðinni sem færist á milli Norðurlandanna á hverju ári. Sjö tónleikar verða haldnir yfir vikuna, auk tveggja fyrirlestra á vegum tónskáldanna Önnu Þorvaldsdóttur og Raviv Ganchrow. Hátíðin sýnir þverskurð af því nýjasta sem er að gerast hjá ungum tónskáldum, og er hvert verk sérvalið af dómnefnd til þáttöku á hátíðinni. Tónleikar munu fara fram víðsvegar - í Hörpu, Fríkirkjunni, Norræna Húsinu, Húrra, Skálholtskirkju, Listasafni Íslands og Listaháskóla Íslands. Aðgangur er ókeypis á alla viðburði.
Nánari upplýsingar má finna á https://www.ungnordiskmusik.is/