Further Information

Duo Fjara

Nocturne

We, soprano Hlín Pétursdóttir Behrens and guitarist Ögmundur Þór Jóhannesson founded Duo Fjara in spring 2019, subsequently performing in summer concert series in the North and East of Iceland as well as the Sigurjón Ólafsson Museum in Reykjavik. By the end of September, we found ourselves in the Fish Factory Creative Centre in Stöðvarfjörður, which is situated on the harbour of this picturesque village in East Iceland. We spent four truly magical days in Studio Silo, a state of the art recording studio, sheltered by the magnificent mountains and the characteristic fog that regularly visits and casts an air of mystery over the area. Our first collaboration on a CD centres around Icelandic music, ranging from folksong arrangements and art songs to lyric gems from contemporary composers. From an intimate atmosphere in the compositions of Stefán Þorleifsson, Þorsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson and Ólöf Arnalds to grand gestures in the music of Þuríður Jónsdóttir and Hildigunnur Rúnarsdóttir, the rich and vivid imagery of Icelandic poetry lays the irresistible ground for an imaginative, dynamic and expressive musical landscape. Furthermore, the album features folksong arrangements by John Speight, compositions by Sveinbjörn Sveinbjörnsson, Sigvaldi Kaldalóns, Jórunn Viðar, Páll Ísólfsson, Atli Heimir Sveinsson, Jóhann G. Jóhannsson and Tryggvi M. Baldvinsson. About a third of the music has not been recorded before and save for two songs, the album features new arrangements by Ögmundur Þór.

Hlín Pétursdóttir Behrens looks upon a long standing career as a singer and vocal coach. A graduate from the College of Music in Reykjavík and the Opera Class of the University of Music and Theatre in Hamburg Germany, the first decade of her professional life focussed on music theatre, with engagements in Stadtheater Bern, Pfalztheater Kaiserslautern, Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz in Munich and the Frankfurt Opera, to name only a few as well as performances in concerts and festivals in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Austria, Switzerland and France. After moving back to Iceland she continues to perform abroad and chamber music, contemporary music and Lied recitals have become more prominent in her work, as well as teaching.

Ögmundur Þór Jóhannesson graduated with a Masters Degree from the Mozarteum University in Salzburg, a second Masters Degree from the Maastricht Conservatory in Holland as well as studying with Ricardo Gallén in Barcelona, Spain. He is a prize-winner of several international guitar competitions, such as the “Agustin Barrios” International guitar competition in France, 2003. Ögmundur has performed in Iceland’s notable music festivals and concert series as well as in Europe, North America, South America and the Middle East. Since 2013, he has been active on the Asian Continent, India, Southeast Asia, Japan and China, and is invited regularly as a guest performer to guitar festivals in Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Hong Kong. His teaching includes masterclasses at the Iceland Academy of Arts, Washington University (USA), Manhattan School of Music (USA), Catholic University of Santiago de Chile and Xinghai Conservatory in Guangzhou.