Hellekant and Bjarni Frímann

Unfortunately both mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter and conductor Yan Pascal Tortelier are indisposed and had to cancel their performance at the Iceland Symphony on March 21st. In their place we welcome conductor Bjarni Frímann Bjarnason and mezzo-soprano Charlotte Hellekant.

Charlotte Hellekant is one of Scandinavia's leading mezzo-sopranos with a career which is equally successful on both the opera stage and concert platform. Hellekant has made her mark on both sides of the Atlantic, most notably at The Metropolitan Opera, Opéra national de Paris and Glyndebourne Festival. Lyric roles include Charlotte (Werther) with Deutsche Oper Berlin and Carmen with Royal Swedish Opera. 

This performance with the Iceland Symphony features Joseph Canteloube's captivating arrangements of French folk music, which are his best-known works and have become very popular through performances by singers such as Victoria de los Angeles and Kiri Te Kanawa.

The programme begins with Atli Heimir Sveinsson's lively arrangement of Mozart's beloved Rondo alla Turca for clarinet and orchestra. The second half of the programme is dedicated to Georges Bizet's only symphony, a masterwork written when the composer was only 17 years old. Even today, it remains one of the most famous symphonies by a French composer, bearing witness to Bizet's undeniable genius. Conductor Bjarni Frímann Bjarnason is currently Assistant Conductor at the Iceland Symphony Orchestra.