4 concerts a week – three organ concerts and one choral concert.

The Klais-organ of Hallgrímskirkja is the largest instrument in Iceland. With its consecration in 1992, ideal conditions to pursue and enjoy organ music in Iceland arose: A complete concert organ in a building with perfect acoustics for one.

Today, this organ is the centre of Icelandic organ culture, an international platform for concert organists and a great magnet for organ students. The organ’s brand new computer technology, installed during renovations in 2012, has further enlarged the group of admirers. Numerous electronic composers have written and performed striking organ pieces with the aid of their computers and attracted new audience. With the International Organ Summer concert series and the biannual Festival of Sacred Arts at Hallgrímskirkja, where many of the world’s best organists have performed, both the church and organ are firmly on the map in the organ world.

It is a great joy to launch yet another splendid International Organ Summer programme in Hallgrímskirkja. For the 26th time the summer in the church will be filled with beautiful organ sounds.
Every week there are three organ concerts and one choral concert. Between concerts organists are almost constantly practising on the huge Klais-organ, enthralling the tourists daily flocking to the church. Many a traveller takes his time watching the organists prepare for concert. In Hallgrímskirkja the chance to experience the organist up close is unique, in most churches the organist is hidden up on the organ loft behind bannisters or rows of pipes.

This summer our guest organists are from far and wide, from France, Germany, Spain, Austria, Check Republic, Sweden and Iceland. All are granted the freedom to choose their own programme so what they offer is specifically chosen for the Klais-organ and the big audience of Hallgrímskirkja.
Tickets are sold online on MIDI.IS and at the entrance one hour before each concert. Admission ISK 2000-2500.

Four concerts every week:

All Wednesdays (from June 20 to August 29 ) at 12:00 noon the chamber choir Schola cantorum sings for 30 minutes from its repertoire Icelandic and international music. Director is Hörður Áskelsson.

All Thursdays (from 21st June to 16th August) at 12:00‒12:30 noon, Icelandic organists play the Klais organ either as soloists or with a soloist.
21st June Baldvin Oddsson trumpet and Steinar Logi Helgason organist Háteigskirkja, Reykjavík
28th JuneElísabet Þórðardóttir, organist Kálfatjarnarkirkja
5th July Kitty Kovács, organist Landakirkja, the Westmann Islands
12th July Pamela De Sensi flute, Steingrímur Þórhallsson organist Neskirkja Reykjavík
19th July Þórunn Elín Pétursdóttir soprano and Lenka Mátéová organist Kópavogskirkja, Kópavogur
26th July Lára Bryndís Eggertsdóttir, organist, Reykjavík
2nd August Kári Þormar, organist Reykjavík Cathedral
9th August Friðrik Vignir Stefánsson, organist Seltjarnarnes Church
16th August Jónas Þórir Jónasson, organist Bústaðakirkja, Reykjavík improvises over melodies by George Gershwin with the theme “Rapsody in Blue”

All Saturdays (from 16th June to 19th August) at 12:00-12:30 noon and all Sundays at 5 PM, the weekend organists and guests of Hallgrímskirkja play.

16th and 17th June: Eyþór Franzson Wechner, Blönduós Church
23th and 24th June: Björn Steinar Sólbergsson, Hallgrímskirkja, Reykjavík
30th June and 1st July: Irena Chřibková, St James Basilica, Prague, Check Republic
7th and 8th July: Winfried Bönig, Cologne Cathedral, Germany
14th and 15th July: Loreto Aramendi, Santa Maria Basilica, San Sebastian, Spain
21st and 22nd July: Thierry Escaich, Saint-Etienne-du-Mont, Paris, France
28th and 29th July: Thierry Mechler, Cologne Philharmonics, Germany
4th and 5th August: Elke Eckerstorfer, St. Augustin Church, Vienna, Austria
11th and 12th August: Hans-Ola Ericsson, Organ professor at McGill in Monreal, Canada
19th August: Hannfried Lucke, Organ professor at Mozarteum University, Salzburg, Austria. Hannfried Lucke will also perform during the Reykjavík Cultural Night programme in Hallgrímskirkja 18th of August.

 See brochure here.