Exciting collaborations

This summer Ísabella Leifsdóttir sang with Þóra Passauer and Margrét Einarsdóttir at the church Strandakirkja, as part of their summer recital series. The recital was dedicated to Mother Mary and all other mothers. The repertoire was a selection of old and new music with a focus on Icelandic female composers. Magnús Ragnarsson accompanied on organ. This was the first recital Isabella sung after the birth of her son, seen with her after the recital in the photo. Margrét, Þóra and Ísabella are all part of a new female vocal group called Valkyrjurnar, or the Walkyries. The group’s first project will be to sing the Ride of the Walkyries and other songs and arias by Wagner and Weil at the Harpa Music Hall next month.

New Icelandic opera

Last year Ísabella performed in an extract of Alexandra Chernyshova’s new opera, The Poet and the Bishops Daughter. Now a full version, semi staged, has been performed at Saurbæjarkirkja in Hvalfjörður. Ísabella feels lucky to be amongst a great cast of singers, singing alongside Elsa Waage, Kristján Jóhannsson, Ásgeir Páll Ágústsson, and many more including Alexandra who sang the leading role. Below are photographs from rehearsals and shows.

Ísabella, Hanna and Alexandra

Ísabella and Elsa Waage

Ísabella, Alexandra and Hanna

Ísabella at an early rehearsal

Margrét, Hanna and Ísabella

Ísabella and Ásgeir Páll

A happy cast after the opening night

Folk Opera Iceland goes on tour!

Folk opera Iceland has travelled the country with La serva padrona. Ísabella Leifsdóttir loved singing Serpina a few more times. Shows included ones in Sauðárkrókur, Selfoss and Akranes.

Ísabella and Jón Svavar

Dýrafjarðardagar, solo recital

Dýrafjarðardagar is a yearly festival in Dýrafjörður, Iceland. Ísabella was invited to hold this year’s recital at the church in Þingeyri. Every seat was taken in this beautiful village church and the atmosphere was mesmerizing. The program was a bit of a “best of” songs and arias, a little bit of everything. It was quite long (over an hour without a break) but even so, the crowd demanded a few encores.

Ísabella feeling grateful after a successful recital

KÍTÓN – Women in Music

Ísabella Leifsdóttir is on the board of directors of KÍTÓN (Women in Music). This summer KÍTÓN will hold a recital series in Viðeyjarstofa on the island Viðey in Iceland. The first recital was held by and with the musicians that are on the board of directors, all profits of this first recital went directly to KÍTÓN.

Hafdís Huld, Ragnheiður Grönal, Ísabella Leifsdóttir, Gréta Salome and Lára Rúnars rehearsing

A local magazine covered the event

Skáldið og biskupsdóttirin by Alexandra Chernyshova

Alexandra Chernyshova is not only a lovely soprano, she’s a composer who has written an opera based on the life of Ragnheiður Brynjólfsdóttir called Skáldið og biskupsdóttirin (The Poet and the Bishops daughter). Ísabella sings the role of one of Ragnheiður’s maids in an extract of the opera. A recording has been made and hopes are that a full version will be put on stage soon. Ísabella loved working with the wonderful director Guðrún Ásmundsdóttir again. They worked together on the Phantom of the Opera back in 2011.

Guðrún and Ísabella having fun between rehearsals

The music is lyrical and beautiful and Ísabella’s role both fun and playful. Great singers are participating, such as Elsa Waage (contralto), Kristján Jóhannsson (tenor) and of course Alexandra Chernyshova herself.

Ísabella and the other maids

Recording with Elsa Waage and Alexandra Chernyshova

Ísabella Leifsdóttir will sing in an extract of Alexandra’s new opera Skáldið og biskupsdóttirin (The poet and the bishops daughter) this spring. In preparation for a full blown show a recording was made of a few arias and ensambles. Ísabella felt honored to sing with such a diva as Elsa Waage who is an amazing contralto which has now moved back to Iceland after a successful career in Italy.

Elsa, Alexandra and Ísabella

Ísabella Leifsdóttir recorded Porgi amor and Und ob die Wolke at Sundlaugin Studio.

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Ísabella Leifsdóttir, Porgi amor, recording, Sigridur Osk, Sundlaugin

 

Ísabella Leifsdóttir and Sigríður Ósk went to the Sundlaugin Studio to record a few arias. Click on Recordings above to listen to Porgi amor and Und ob die Wolke.
Me (left) and Sigríður Ósk (Icelandic mezzo) at the Sundlaugin recording studio.

Wagner’s Dream stofuspjall

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Alþýðuóperan, Ísabella Leifsdóttir, Folk Opera Iceland, Metropolitan Opera Wagner Ring, Opera Iceland, Wagner's Dream

Alþýðuóperan fór að sjá mynd Susan Frömke, Wagner’s Dream, sem fjallar um uppsetningu Metropolitan óperunnar í New York á Niflungahring Richards Wagner í leikstjórn Robert Lepage. Óperusöngvararnir Ísabella Leifsdóttir og Steinþór Jasonarson ásamt leikkonunni Sögu Garðarsdóttur ræða myndina en þau eiga það öll sameiginlegt að hafa tekið þátt í uppsetningu Alþýðuóperunnar á Ráðskonuríki. Sú uppsetning vakti athygli vegna þess hversu ofboðslega smá í sniðum hún var en aðeins voru tveir söngvarar, einn leikari og einn gítarleikari á sviði.

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