International Organ Summer in Hallgrímskirkja 

Thursday 4. July at 12:00 

Guðmundur Sigurðsson organist in Hafnarfjarðarkirkja church, Iceland

Performs pieces by Friðrik Bjarnason, Smári Ólason, Johann Pachebel, George Shearing and Hugi Guðmundsson.

Ticket sale at the entrance opens one hour before the concert.

Admission 2500 ISK

Guðmundur Sigurðsson has been organist at Hafnarfjarðarkirkja since 2006. He completed his studies from the School of church music of the national church of Iceland with a degree in church music in 2006, studying organ with Hörður Áskelsson, and final organ examination in 1998. He completed his master’s degree with distinction in the spring of 2002 from Westminster Choir College in Princeton where his principal organ teacher was Mark A. Anderson and his choral conducting teachers Andrew Megill and Joseph Flummerfelt. Guðmundur has appeared in concerts in Iceland and abroad, both as an organ soloist and as an accompanist with soloists and choirs. He has taught organ for many years, was president of the Society of Icelandic organists 2004-2009 and is now chairman of the church music council of the Icelandic national church.

Guðmundur was the principal adviser when the church’s organ was renewed. The outcome of that project was the installation of two stylistically authentic instruments, an organ in German late romantic style by Christian Scheffler in 2008 and an organ in central German baroque style by Kristian Wegscheider in 2009. The singer Magnea Tómasdóttir together with Guðmundur and Smári Ólason published a CD in 2003 „… allt svo verði til dýrðar þér“ where Magnea and Guðmundur perform Smári’s settings of treasures from the Icelandic folk music tradition. Guðmundur founded the St. Barbara chamber choir in 2007 which has published the CD „Syngið Drottni nýjan söng“.

The choir performs regularly at Hafnarfjörður church and has held many concerts in Iceland and overseas. In 2009, Guðmundur inaugurated a series of midday organ concerts in Hafnarfjarðarkirkja. Last February, his first organ solo CD was published, “Haf”, celebrating the 10 years anniversary of the organs in Hafnarfjarðarkirkja. 

Last January, Guðmundur was awarded the Icelandic state artists salary for six months for concert performances introducing the new CD.

Thursday at 12 noon

Friðrik Bjarnason 1880-1962
Prelude in E minor

Smári Ólason 1946-
Organ meditation on an Icelandic folk song / Jesus meditates on the green and dry tree

Johann Pachelbel 1653-1706
Hymn and nine variations (partitas)
What God does, is done well

George Shearing 1919-2011
Organ meditation on an American hymn
So fades the lovely blooming flower

Hugi Guðmundsson 1977-
Ocean