Organ summer in Hallgrímskirkja - Matthías Harðarson, organ The Westman Islands & Harpa Ósk Björnsdóttir, soprano

Matthías Harðarson began his musical studies at the age of 10 and studied at the music school in Vestmannaeyjar. His teachers there were Gíslína Sól Jónatansdóttir, Guðmundur H. Guðjónsson and Kittý Kovács. He also played the saxophone with Stefán Sigurjónsson. In 2016 Matthías graduated with a Church organist diploma. In 2020 Matthías graduated from Listaháskóli Íslands with a BA degree in Church music and a Kantor diploma from the Music School of the National Church in Iceland. His teachers there were Björn Steinar Sólbergsson, organ, Magnús Ragnarsson, Choir conducting, Guðný Einarsdóttir, Eyþór Ingi Jónsson, and Lára Bryndís Eggertsdóttir in liturgical organ playing. In 2017 Matthías graduated as a Marine engineer. Matthías has finished a Master’s degree from The Royal Academy of Music where Kristian Krogsøe, Lars Rosenlund Nørremark, and Ulrik Spang-Hanssen were his teachers.

 

Harpa Ósk Björnsdóttir is a lyrical coloratura soprano from Reykjavík, Iceland. Since September 2022 she has been a part of the Bayerisches Theaterakademie August Everding at Prinzregententheater München, where she studies in the class of Sabine Lahm.

A few of Harpa´s engagements this last year were the roles of Un pastore in “Tosca” at Oper Leipzig, Königin der Nacht in “die Zauberflöte” in Alten Spitzenfabrik Grimma, Taumännchen in “Hänsel und Gretel“ at Oper Halle, Vagaus in “Juditha Thriumphans” and Jen in “4:48 Psychose” in Prinzregententheater, and Titania in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” in Leipzig.

Recent engagements are the roles of Taumännchen and Sandmännchen in “Hänsel und Gretel” at Oper Halle in December 2023, the title role of J. C. Bach’s opera “Zanaida” with BR Münchener Rundfunkorchester in Prinzregententheater München in March 2024, and numerous roles at Staatsoper Nürnberg from June this year.

Before moving to Germany, Harpa studied singing at the Reykjavik Institute of Singing and Vocal arts under the guidance of Ólöf Kolbrún Harðardóttir until May 2018, and then at the Icelandic University of the Arts under the guidance of Ólöf Kolbrún, Hanna Dóra Sturludóttir, Kristinn Sigmundsson and Þóra Einarsdóttir. She studied in the class of Frau Prof. Caroline Stein at Hochschule für Musik und Theater “Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy” Leipzig.

In September 2019 she made her debut with the Icelandic Opera in the role of Barbarina in “Le nozze di Figaro” in the National theater of Iceland and in the beginning of 2019 she performed as a soloist with the Icelandic Symphonic Orchestra in Harpa concert hall, as one of the winners of the “Young soloists 2019” competition. Harpa sang for the voice of the main character in the movie “Sparrows”, which was Iceland’s submission to the Academy awards in 2017. For six years she sung with the choir “Graduale Nobili”, who is mostly famous for its world tour with the singer Björk.