Hanna Dóra Sturludóttir Concert, 2019
On June 4th, 2019 The Icelandic Canadian Club of Toronto, along with The Embassy of Iceland and Timothy Eaton Memorial Church hosted two wonderful musicians from Iceland in an intimate concert of favourite Icelandic songs and popular opera arias. This “Musical Treat from Iceland” featured renowned Icelandic mezzo-soprano Hanna Dóra Sturludóttir accompanied by noted pianist and composer Snorri Sigfús Birgisson.
This Toronto concert was one of three on the Canadian tour for these two musicians organized by Icelandic Ambassador to Canada Pétur Ásgeirsson who was in attendance on the night and also hosted a wine and cheese reception to toast the musicians after the concert.
About 85 people attended the concert and enjoyed a wonderful program of Icelandic songs including folk songs, Finnish and Norwegian songs and popular arias.
(Photo credits: Katie Norman)
The Program consisted of:
Icelandic Songs
Draumalandið (Land of dreams) Sigfús Einarsson (1877-1939)
Íslenskt vögguljóð á Hörpu (Icelandic lullaby) Jón Þórarinsson (1917-2012)
Kall sat undir kletti (The Old Man by the Cliff) Jórunn Viðar (1918-2017)
Snert hörpu mina (Heavenly creature touch my harp so angels may listen) Atli Heimir Sveinsson (1938-2019)
Á Sprengisandi (Ríðum, ríðum)(Let’s ride, ride, ride across the sand) Sigvaldi Kaldalóns (1881-1946)
Heyr, himna smiður (Hear, Smith of Heavens) Þorkell Sigurbjörnsson (1938-2013)
Vísur Vatnsenda-Rósu (Mine Eyes and Your Eyes) Jón Ásgeirsson (b. 1928)
Dalvísa (Valley Song — folk song arrangement) Snorri Sigfús Birgisson (b. 1954)
Vikivaki (Piano solo) (Traditional Icelandic dance) S. Sveinbjörnsson (1847-1927)
Norwegian Songs
Jeg elsker dig (I Love) Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)
Ein traum (A Dream) Grieg
Finnish Songs
Den första kyssen (The First Kiss) Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)
Var det en dröm? (Was it a Dream?) Sibelius
Famous Arias
From “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” by G. Rossini (1792-1868): Una voce poco faA voice has echoed into my heart – Rosina sings of her love to Count Almaviva.
From “Carmen” by Georges Bizet (1858-1924): Seguidilla “Près des remparts de Séville” Before leaving for Seville – After Carmen is arrested for fighting with another girl in the cigarette factory, Don Jose is assigned to watch her. She sings that she wants to go to her friend Lillias Pastia’s inn and insinuates that she would like Don Jose to go with her).
About the Musicians
Hanna Dóra Sturludóttir has been one of Iceland’s leading singers for many years. Her career, both in opera and concert have taken her around the world.
For several years she lived and worked in Berlin but now resides in Iceland where she teaches at Sigurður Demetz School of Singing and at the Iceland Academy of the Arts.
She has also performed several roles at the Icelandic Opera in recent years, for example the title role in “Carmen”, Princess Eboli in “Don Carlo”, Donna Elvira in “Don Giovanni” and most recently in “Brothers” by Daniel Bjarnason. In 2014 Hanna Dóra received the Icelandic Music Award as “Classical Singer of the Year” for her interpretation of “Eboli”.
Snorri Sigfús Birgisson is a composer and pianist. He commenced his musical studies with Gunnar Sigurgeirsson and then went on to study at the Reykjavík College of Music where his teachers were Hermína Kristjánsson, Jón Nordal, Árni Kristjánsson (piano), and Thorkell Sigurbjörnsson (composition).
He studied piano with Barry Snyder at the Eastman School of Music, U.S.A. (1974-1975) and composition with Finn Mortensen in Norway where he also studied electronic music with Lasse Thoresen and sonology with Thoresen and Olav Anton Thommessen (1975-76). Snorri moved to Amsterdam in 1976 where he studied composition for two years with Ton de Leeuw. Since 1980 he has been living in Reykjavík, where he is active as a musician and music teacher. He has composed solo works, chamber works, symphonic pieces and choir music. He is a member of the CAPUT ensemble.