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Reykjavík Jazz and Center Hotels invite you to a Jazz brunch at Jörgensen Kitchen & Bar. Book your table here! Rebekka Blöndal is one of the most promising jazz singers in Iceland. She has kept herself busy performing the last few years and with that received a well-deserved place in the Icelandic jazz scene. Her debut album is due this fall, following her newly released EP. The music is mostly written by Rebekka and the guitarist Ásgeir Ásgeirsson. Rebekka will be performing along with Ásgeir Ásgeirsson on guitar, Sigmar Þór Matthíasson on bass and Matthías Hemstock on drums.

This Danish duo seem to have the best of both worlds: a compelling live presence and carefully construted albums. They released their debut album, Knob, in March 2019. The album became the Album of the Week on the Danish national radio, and secured the duo two awards at the Danish Music Awards gala. Their live energy brought them a victory in the national jazz competition JazzKonkurrencen 2019. The music, composed by both, pianist Nikolaj Svaneborg and drummer Jonas Kardyb, is minimalistic and atmospheric. According to the duo, it was created “over the blackest of coffee in the earliest of mornings”. This performance is a part of the NORDIC JAZZ COMETS project. Nikolaj Svaneborg : Würlitzer, synthesizer, piano Jonas Kardyb : drums, percussion

Kadi Vija Key Project is a fresh and innovative jazz group built around the outstanding Finnish/Estonian jazz singer Kadi Vija. The ensemble strives for the sound that is soft but substantial, quiet but captivating, sound that stays on the listener’s mind but leaves it hungry for more. Kadi Vija’s uncommon singing style is influenced by instrumental improvised music, flowing thoughts and abstractness. Vija’s music draws from modernism, jazz and film scores. This quartet, with a refreshing instrumentation of vocals, bass clarinet, guitar and drums, released their debut album Roaming In The Contemporary Society To Make Peace With It in May 2020. This performance is a part of the NORDIC JAZZ COMETS project. Kadi Vija : vocals Max Zenger : bass clarinet Tuomo Dahlblom : guitar Tuomas Timonen : drums

The act of listening–truly listening–is an intimate action. „Akroasis“,a term used by the Ancient Greeks to describe deeply listening to the world, as opposed to just looking at it, is the foundation of The PolyHarmonic Ensemble which explores natural ratios found in various aspects of nature, society, and culture, and translates them to melodies, improvisations, and innovative harmonic landscapes. Led by local resident for a few years now, Phil Doyle (US), this project is part of over a decade long study of Harmonics, ratio and proportion, via mentor Drew Lesso, a former pupil of Karlheinz Stockhausen. The group comprises not only some of the finest musicians in Iceland (Einar Scheving, Eyþór Gunnarsson, Hilmar Jensson, Óskar Guðjónsson, Snorri Sigurðarson, Tómas Jónsson), but also a Grammy award winning sound engineer, Chris Palowitch, and features the visual work of filmographer, Andri Thor Birgisson. Not only will you hear the unique creativity of the individual players, you will literally hear the sound of volcanoes, population data, mountains and more. This will be the world premiere of the ensemble which, in all seriousness, is easily one of the most artistic group of musicians Phil Doyle has ever assembled. Phil Doyle (US) : saxophone / electronic […]

Saxophone virtuoso Melissa Aldana will perform with her quartet at Reykjavík Jazz in Harpa – Norðurljós on September 4th. She will be accompanied by Pablo Menares on bass, Kush Abadey on drums and Lage Lund on guitar. On her first jazz quartet “Visions”, award-winning saxophonist Melissa Aldana connects her work to the legacy of Latina artists who have come before her, creating a pathway for her own expression. Inspired by the life and works of Frida Kahlo, Aldana creates a parallel between her experiences as a female saxophone player in a male-dominated community, and Kahlo’s experiences as a female visual artist working to assert herself in a landscape dominated by men. On her first jazz quartet recording, Aldana adds a new dimension to her sound, resulting in a transformative movement of expression and self-identity. Aldana was born in Santiago, Chile. She began playing the saxophone when she was six, under the influence and tuition of her father Marcos Aldana, also a professional saxophonist. Aldana began with alto, influenced by artists such as Charlie Parker, Cannonball Adderley, and Michael Brecker. However, upon first hearing the music of Sonny Rollins, she switched to tenor; the first tenor saxophone she used was a […]

The final concert of Reykjavík Jazz 2021 will be something else! For the 2021 Reykjavík Jazz Festival, Los Bomboneros will showcase a full scale latin bigband under the baton of conductor, trombonist and violinist Sigrún Kristbjörg Jónsdóttir, featuring the band’s arrangements of classic bigband hits from South and Central America and of brand new tunes by guitarist Daniel Helgason. For the past few years, Los Bomboneros (Sigrún – trombone and violin, Daníel – guitar and tres, Kristofer – percussion, Alexandra – bass and vocals) have added flavour and spice to the Icelandic music scene with their authentic approach to afro-latin music styles. The band has twice performed in bigband uniform at The Reykjavík Big Band’s annual Bigband Marathon, but now invites you to a loud salsa and cumbia party in the Harpa Music Hall. A fun-loving and boisterous show is to be expected and guests are encouraged not to hold back from any hip rotations or shouts of delight. This is one party you do not want to miss. LOS BOMBONEROS Y SUS BOMBASTICOS – PERFORMERS: Sigrún Kristbjörg Jónsdóttir : conductor Daníel Helgason : guitar / tres Alexandra Kjeld : bass / vocals Kristofer Rodriguez Svönuson : percussion Magnús Trygvason […]

Clas­sical Ma­gic of East­ern Europe   Today’s Icelanders are usually connected to the region of Central- and Eastern Europe through many personal connections because of their work, holidays, families, studies and friends. So did the Icelanders in the recent centuries. Furthermore, the musical and cultural heritage of the Central-Europe has played a surprisingly big role in the cultural life and musical education of Iceland. Great composers, choir and orchestral conductors such as Franz Mixa, Peter Urbantschitsch and Carl Billich are highlighting the strong connection between the two regions. In this concert we focus on the roots of the musical culture of Central-Europe. Our program consists of songs, arias, cello and piano pieces, duos, trios and folk music from Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Poland and Russia. The pieces were written by great and well-known classical composers such as Dvorak, Strauss, Chopin, Liszt and Rachmaninov but also less-known and very special composers like Anton Benda and Jan Kritek Vanhal. Performers: Bernadett Hegyi, Hungarian coloratura soprano. She is one of the greatest new talents in classical singing, with her astonishingly high acrobatic notes. Together with Márton Wirth, she formed the ensemble Opera2gether. Márton Wirth, composer and conductor. Organist at Landakotskirkja and a conductor of Skátakórinn, also going […]

Iceland Airwaves Festival is the world’s most northerly music showcase and industry festival, situated halfway between North America and Europe. Iceland Airwaves brings together the country’s brightest emerging musical talent and forward-thinking international acts. Each November for four days and nights, downtown Reykjavík comes alive, filled non-stop with music, with performances hosted everywhere from tiny record stores and art museums, to cool bars and stately churches, to nightclubs and large scale venues. Lineup so far: ADHD – Andavald – Andy Svarthol – Any Other – Aragrúi – Arlo Parks – Aron Can – Ásta – Axel Flóvent – Balming Tiger – Bartees Strange – Benni Hemm Hemm – Black Pumas – BSÍ – Bríet – Cell7 – CHLOBOCOP – Countess Malaise – Crack Cloud – Daði Freyr – Daughters of Reykjavík – Denise Chaila – dj. flugvél og geimskip – Dry Cleaning – Eydís Evensen – Faux Real – Francis of Delirium – GDRN – GRÓA – gugusar – Halldór Eldjárn – Hipsumhaps – Holdgervlar – Inspector Spacetime – ISÁK – Júníus Meyvant – Kælan Mikla – KAMARA – Karina – kef LAVÍK – KeiyaA – Kiriyama Family – KLEIN – K.óla – Kristin Sesselja – Krummi – Laufey – […]