Further Information

Kópavogur turns into an opera stage

Opera Days in Kópavogur is a brand new Icelandic opera festival, newly established in 2016, that will take place June 1st until 5th in Kópavogur, Iceland. The town will turn into an opera stage for several days, with various short and pop-up performances taking place at different locations. One of the festival's main attractions is the adventurous Opera Walk, in which the audience will be guided between various places in the heart of the town without knowing what exactly to expect. There will also be a strong emphasis on activities for children, as well as visibility within the local community.

Several young Icelandic and international artists will perform during the festival. Its main goal is to make opera more visible in the local community, give young upcoming talents a rare opportunity to work within their field in Kópavogur, and create an experimental platform for performers and audience alike - where anything can happen.

In addition to the Opera Walk, festival guests get a chance to see two short opera performances, Poppea Remixed and Selshamur (Sealskin) and a brand new Icelandic Football Opera by Icelandic composer Helgi Rafn Ingvarsson. Kópavogur residents can apply to have a chamber concert in their living room, and there will be lunchtime recitals every day during the festival. The participants will also visit schools and nursing homes.

Here on Karolina Fund, it is possible to get tickets for the lunch concerts - please check out the various pledges!

These are the artists that will perform at the lunch concerts:

Aron Axel Cortes, baritone
Hrönn Þráinsdóttir, piano

Magnús Hallur Jónsson, tenor
Matthildur Anna Gísladóttir, piano

Rannveig Káradóttir, soprano
Birna Hallgrímsdóttir, piano

Vocal ensemble Fjárlaganefndin

Elísabet Einarsdóttir, sópran
Sólborg Valdimarsdóttir, píanó

Guja Sandholt, mezzó-sópran
Anna Vala Ólafsdóttir, alt
Melkorka Ólafsdóttir, flauta
Matthildur Anna Gísladóttir, píanó

Kópavogur is the main sponsor of Opera Days, but we still need a little more support to help the festival take place. If you'd like to buy a ticket, a nice bag with the festival logo, or just support us with your name in our program books, please pledge.

Soon we will open our new website, www.operudagar.is, and you can also find us on www.facebook.com/operudagar.
Also, send us an email at operudagar@operudagar.is.

In Poppea Remixed, three opera singers and conductor/director Timothy Nelson join forces with Dutch band Sommerhus, whose melodic pop tunes add to the wonderful music of Claudio Monteverdi, while the highly dramatic plot unfolds. The hour-long performance will take place in Lindakirkja, Kópavogur.

SEALSKIN - operatic exploration

Based on an Icelandic folk tale with the same name, the new Icelandic story by director Árni Kristjánsson is made around well known opera arias and Lieder which are put in new context on stage. It takes place in an apartment building in Kópavogur where the characters explore the transformations that happen all around us - from speaking to singing, dreaming to reality and seals to men.

This is where opera becomes experimental and explorational and everything is possible. It makes us excited.

Árni Kristjánsson, director
Matthildur Anna Gísladóttir, music direction

Aron Axel Cortes, baritone
Elísabet Einarsdóttir, soprano
Magnús Hallur Jónsson, tenor

Singers:

Alexandra Untiedt
Alexander Jarl Þorsteinsson
Anna Vala Ólafsdóttir
Aron Axel Cortes
Ásta Marý Stefánsdóttir
Einar Dagur Jónsson
Einar Þór Guðmundsson
Elfur Sunna
Elísabet Einarsdóttir
Fjóla Kristín Nikulásdóttir
Freydís Þrastardóttir
Guja Sandholt
Hugi Jónsson
Jón Svavar Jósefsson
Lilja Margrét Riedel
Magnea Tómasdóttir
Magnús Hallur Jónsson
Pétur Oddbergur Heimisson
Ragnheiður Lilja Óladóttir
Rannveig Káradóttir
Valgerður Helgadóttir
Þórgunnur Anna Örnólfsdóttir
Þórhallur Auður Helgason

and children from Skólakór Kársness

Instrumentalists:

Birna Hallgrímsdóttir
Elektra Ensemble
Guðrún Dalía Salómonsdóttir
Hrönn Þráinsdóttir
Matthildur Anna Gísladóttir
Sigríður Hjördís
Sólborg Valdimarsdóttir
Sommerhus
Svanhildur Lóa Bergsveinsdóttir
Timothy Nelson

Composer in residence:

Helgi R. Ingvarsson

Directors:

Árni Kristjánsson
Timothy Nelson
Tryggvi Gunnarsson

Costums and stage design:

Ingibjörg Jara

Organisers and other team:

Guja Sandholt, Artistic Director
Jóhanna Kristín Jónsdóttir, Project manager
Pétur Oddbergur Heimisson, Head of crowd funding campaign
Jón Ingi Stefánsson, website and graphic design
Dorothy M., graphic design

Anna Sigga Skarphéðinsdóttir, intern
Hrafnhildur Eva Guðmundsdóttir, assistant
Valgerður Helgadóttir, assistant

in cooperation with Kópavogur