Reykjavík Grapevine - 12.08.2016, Page 45

Music 44The Reykjavík GrapevineIssue 12 — 2016
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Festval
It may be berry-picking season
in Iceland, but for three days this
month the town of Ólafsfjörður
will have classical music on the
brain. The eighteenth annual Ber-
jadagar, which translates to “berry
days,” will be held from August 12
to 14, and will present a showcase
of the finest Icelandic classical
musicians in the isolated com-
munity nearly an hour north of
Akureyri.
A family affair

The festival is something of a
family affair. Pianist Örn Mag-
nússon organized the first Ber-
jadagar eighteen years ago, and
it’s now directed by Ólöf Sigursve-
innsdóttir, his niece. Ólöf’s great-
uncle is Sigursveinn D. Kristins-
son, the celebrated composer and
music educator, and this year’s
Berjadagar will pay homage to the
memory of the important figure
in Iceland’s musical history.
“Sigursveinn was one of the
first in Iceland who became a pro-
fessional composer, and he found-
ed two music schools,” Ólöf says.
One of those schools is Reykjavík’s
own Tónskóli Sigursveins, which
still exists today. “He was unstop-
pable in his life to spread music
and the joy of music, especially for
children,” she says. “So we are re-
membering him this year.”
Ólöf sees a direct connection
between Sigursveinn’s work and
the vibrant musical community
that exists in Iceland today. “All
these bands that you can hear in
Iceland now, they are all educated
people from music schools in the
country,” she explains. “And Sig-
ursveinn is directly connected
with certain laws in the parlia-
ment from 1968 that really allowed
these music schools to flourish.”
One of the performers at this
year’s Berjadagar is Þórunn Élin
Pétursdóttir, a soprano singer
who will be performing Mahler’s
“Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen.”
“I am really looking forward to
her music concert because it all
fits so well with her voice,” Ólöf
says about Þórunn’s performance.
“And the church at Ólafsfjörður
is just a wonderful place to make
music. It has a wonderful acous-
tics and it’s very inviting for the
lied singers.”
A local experience
The church in Ólafsfjörður is one
of two venues used during Berjad-
agar, the other being Menningar-
húsið Tjarnarborg, the local cul-
tural house. The localized aspect
of the festival is part of what gives
Berjardagar its charm, says Ólöf.
Because of the isolated nature
of Ólafsfjörður—it takes nearly
seven hours to drive from Reyk-
javík—the festival also sees some
of the same attendees returning
again and again.
“That’s the beautiful thing, is
that it’s a completely local experi-
ence,” says Ólöf. “A really big part
of the festival is the atmosphere
that comes when some people
meet year after year.” That being
said, Ólöf admits it has been dif-
ficult to get younger people inter-
ested in Berjadagar, even though
admission for children under the
age of fifteen is free.
But Ólöf isn’t worried about sus-
taining the spirit of Berjadagar.
“There is an energy in Ólafsfjörður
for music that is quite extraordi-
nary,” she says. “People are really
enjoying it in such a pure way, and
they’re not coming to the concerts
to judge, but to really enjoy. After
each festival I cannot wait for the
next one.”
The eighteenth annual Berjad-
agar will be held in Ólafsfjörður
from August 12 to 14. A festival
pass costs 6,500 ISK, while admis-
sion to individual concerts is 2,500
ISK and admission for children
under the age of fifteen is free.
LISTEN AND SHARE:
gpv.is/berj12
Berjadagar Brings Classical To Ólafsfjörður
A Family Affair
Words ISAAC WÜRMANN Photos ART BICNICK