Björk presents series of live-streamed charity matinee performances - live from Reykjavik

ICELAND AIRWAVES & BJÖRK PRESENT SERIES OF LIVESTREAMED CHARITY MATINEE PERFORMANCES LIVE FROM REYKJAVÍK

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE


NEWS PROVIDED BY
Huxley

Björk has announced plans for 3 special matinee performances in association with Iceland Airwaves, which will be live-streamed online and raise money for domestic women’s charities worldwide. With Iceland now reopening after the COVID-19 pandemic, the shows will take place with a live audience at Reykjavík’s Harpa Hall on the 9th, 15th and 23rd August.

The performances will act as a celebration of the Icelandic musicians that Björk has worked with over the years, with each concert finding the artist collaborate with over 100 Icelandic musicians, across three groups that have played a part within the creation of her discography. Each concert will feature different songs, with Björk´s instrumental arrangements played by members of the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra, Flute Septet Viibra, Hamrahlíð Choir and special guests without electronics or beats. The performances will be raising money and awareness for Kvennaathvarfid - a charity that supports women and immigrants of different origin within Iceland.

Björk
Live from Reykjavík
Eldborg – Harpa

Sunday 9th August - 17:00 GMT
björk with
Hamrahlið Choir,
conductor Þorgerður Ingólfsdóttir,
Bergur Þórisson, organ

Saturday 15th August - 17:00 GMT
björk with
strings from Icelandic Symphony Orchestra,
conductor Bjarni Frímann Bjarnason

Sunday 23rd August - 17:00 GMT
björk with
brass from the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra,
flute septet Viibra,
harpist Katie Buckley
pianist Jónas Sen

A note from Björk:

"dear friends

i would like to invite you to some concerts

to honour
folks who got hit hardest in the coronavirus
and the black lives matter movement

and to honour how many icelandic musicians i have worked with through the years

i recorded almost all of my albums with local musicians :

homogenic with an icelandic string octet
medulla with schola cantorum ( an icelandic mixed choir )
volta with 10 brass girls i found all over the island and then later they formed wonderbrass
biophilia with langholt´s church girl choir graduale nobili
vulnicura with a 15 piece string ensemble
utopia with 12 female fluteplayers who later formed the flute septet viibra
cornucopia with hamrahlíð´s choir conducted by þorgerður ingólfsdóttir
all these albums where then performed all around the planet with these musicians
together they are over hundred people !!

and we are going to celebrate that we are all healthily exiting quarantine together by playing concerts in harpa music hall for 3 weekends of august

my input into the feminist fight is to brag about that almost all of those arrangements are by me
unfortunately this is something that is almost always ignored when women are arrangers

the concerts will be in the afternoons and will also be streamed live online, where there will be an option to donate to the icelandic women's shelter - which supports women of all origin in iceland

for those attending in person, after the concert we will be offering food to raise money in support of this charity

the concerts will be "unplugged" or acoustic and performed without beats and electronics
the concerts will be performed with the icelandic symphony orchestra and guests

i feel we are going through extraordinary times
horrifying but also an opportunity to truly change
it is demanded of us that we finally confront all racism
that we learn that lives are more important that profit
and look inside us and finecomb out all our hidden prejudices and privileges

let´s all humbly learn together

transform

humongous love

björk"

Tickets for the live shows are available for general sale commencing on 3rd July 2020 from 12pm GMT (1pm BST). Tickets will be priced in five tiers, starting at 4.990 ISK and available to purchase here. Ticket buyers will be offered the option to donate to Kvennaathvarfid.

Live stream tickets are priced at £15, with 20% of proceeds going towards charity, alongside extra charitable donation options available. Streaming ticket options are available via DICE below.

Bundle Ticket (all three performances) - https://link.dice.fm/bjork-orkestral-live-from-reykjavik-iceland
9th August - https://link.dice.fm/rx2YYwqay7
15th August - https://link.dice.fm/HkuJz1tay7
23rd August - https://link.dice.fm/78OuMcxay7

About

About the the musicians:

THE ICELAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
The Iceland Symphony Orchestra has been a leading force in Iceland’s music scene for 70 years. The orchestra gives around 100 concerts each season, including subscription performances with internationally renowned classical musicians, but also frequently collaborates with artists from other genres. The orchestra has recorded for renowned international labels such as Sono Luminus and Deutsche Grammophon, and received a Grammy nomination for Best Orchestral Performance. The Iceland Symphony has also toured widely, including performances at the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, and in New York’s Carnegie Hall. The orchestra’s Chief Conductor and Artistic Director is the Finnish Eva Ollikainen. The Iceland Symphony is the resident orchestra in Reykjavík’s award-winning Harpa Concert Hall.

VIIBRA
The flute group viibra was founded in 2016 when working with Björk on her album Utopia. The group worked closely with Björk in the making of the album and then travelled with her around the world. In addition to performing regularly with Björk, viibra is active as an independent ensemble.

The members of viibra are:
Áshildur Haraldsdóttir
Berglind María Tómasdóttir
Björg Brjánsdóttir
Dagný Marinósdóttir
Melkorka Ólafsdóttir
Sólveig Magnúsdóttir
Steinunn Vala Pálsdóttir
Þuríður Jónsdóttir

THE HAMRAHLÍÐ CHOIR
The Hamrahlíð Choir has been at the forefront of Icelandic musical life for more than four decades. Its members are former students at Hamrahlíð College in Reykjavík, where Þorgerður Ingólfsdóttir formed a choir in 1967 and was its conductor until 2017. The Hamrahlíð Choir, which is made up of graduates of the college choir, has released many widely praised CDs and has frequently performed with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. Throughout its history, the choir has collaborated closely with Icelandic composers, and over 100 works have been composed especially for the choir. The Hamrahlíð Choir has travelled to 26 countries and has performed at many of the world’s leading choral festivals to great acclaim, including festivals in Europe, North America, and Asia. The Hamrahlíð Choir began its collaboration with Björk in 2017, singing on her CD Utopia. The collaboration continued with Cornucopia concerts in New York City and Europe in 2019.

Source Huxley

July 3, 2020 9:30am ET by Pressparty  

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