Sæunn Thorsteinsdóttir: Vernacular

Icelandic-American cellist, Sæunn Thorsteinsdóttir, performs 4 pieces by contemporary Icelandic composers. The contemporary classic by Hafliði Hallgrímsson, Solitaire, is a 5 movement suite consisting of dances and folk-inspired forms, concluding in a fiery Jig. “Afterquake” by Páll Ragnar Pálsson explores the internal effects of emotional events through textures and overtones , “O” by Halldór Smárason was inspired by the concept of a candle in sound, concept and structure of his 3 movement work and “48 images of the moon” by Thuríður Jónsdóttir is a mediation set in the middle of the Westfjords of Iceland, using the cello to orchestrate the infinite variety in breathe as it interacts with the sounds of a unique landscape. These pieces, the last three of which were written for and premiered by Sæunn, give a glimpse of the exploding Icelandic contemporary music scene through the lens of the cello.