Emilía and Brahms

This programme features intriguing French and German works from the turn of the 20th century. 

Camille Saint-Saëns' tender Romance is one of his best-known works, but fewer have heard of Cécile Chaminade, who was very popular in her day. In a long career, she wrote over 400 works and was the first woman composer to be awarded membership of the Legion of Honour. Her Concertino for Flute was a pivotal work in her career. It was written for the soloists' competition at the Paris Conservatoire in 1902 and has been a permanent part of the flute repertoire ever since. 

Johannes Brahms takes a backward glance with his magnificent Symphony no. 4, one of his last symphonic works. The Fourth bears witness to Brahms' abiding interest in the music of the Baroque, not least the works of J.S. Bach, which he studied in depth. Both the theme in the final movement of the symphony and its development are directly influenced by Bach.

Emilía Rós Sigfúsdóttir has drawn deserved attention in recent years for her outstanding flute playing and captivating stage presence. Her solo CD, Portrait, received a favourable review in Gramophone magazine, and her 2016 performance of Jacques Ibert's Flute Concerto earned her five stars from the critic from Fréttablaðið,who said, “It was a joy to hear her play.” Conducting the orchestra is the Norwegian conductor Eivind Aadland.

Listen to the concert live on Channel 1 (Rás 1) of the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service (RÚV).

Ticket sales and concertgoer's guide
In accordance to local health regulations and to ensure the safety of our patrons, the Eldborg concert hall in Harpa has been divided into several areas, each with a maximum capacity of 200 guests. To ensure space between guests, one empty seat will be reserved between each ticket order. We also offer seats that ensure a distance of 2 meters on all sides, but these tickets must be booked through the Harpa ticket office, tel. 528-5050. Read our concertgoer's guide here.