Last Saturday Iceland Music hosted Podium, a networking event where 5 projects were presented to a room full of festival directors, media and other industry professionals. 

Podium is an annual event that takes place during Dark Music Days, Iceland’s premier Contemporary music festival, and it is designed to increase visibility and international opportunities for Icelandic contemporary music.

Industry professionals from festivals such as Klang, Ultima, November Music, and Estonian Music Days, along with media representatives from Seismograf, Brooklyn Rail, and Wallpaper were in attendance to experience this uniquely intimate event. 

This year there were 5 projects presented:

The first project presented at Podium was Pípumessa - A Journey Through the Material World of Pipes.

Photo taken by Julie Rowland

Pípumessa, musical work by Iðunn Einarsdóttir and Þórður Hallgrímsson, is an auditory journey through the material world of pipes in all their diverse forms. It features a wide range of instruments, from traditional woodwind and brass instruments to recorders made from plastic drainpipes, organ pipes, glass drinking straws, and much more.

Instead of a traditional presentation, the trio led the audience on an interactive journey and had everyone try out some homemade pipe instruments they brought along.

Photo taken by Julie Rowland.

Next up was John McCowen presenting his Solo Concert – A Premiere of New Works for Contrabass Clarinet.

Photo taken by Julie Rowland.

In this solo concert, John premieres a series of his own works for contrabass clarinet, composed in late 2024. These pieces push the sonic possibilities of the instrument to the extreme, unveiling a dense, intricate sonic world of shimmering textures and delicate movements.

Ásta Fanney Sigurðardóttir presented her project Glossolalia 

Photo taken by Julie Rowland.

Glossolalia explores human connection and the elements of language through sound, improvisation, and performance. The work juxtaposes primal and spiritual elements, creating a chaotic yet simplistic poetic landscape.

Photo taken by Julie Rowland.

Masaya Ozaki Presented Echoes for the Lighthouse – A Site-Specific Musical Composition 

Photo taken by Julie Rowland.

Echoes for the Lighthouse invites audiences to engage with sound as a living element shaped by environment and space. Ozaki’s field recordings and minimalist composition techniques create a fluid, introspective work influenced by the textures of Icelandic  landscapes.

Photo taken by Julie Rowland.

Heiða Árnadóttir and Ásbjörg Jónsdóttir presented their project Mörsugur – An Opera for Voice and Audiovisuals 

Photo taken by Julie Rowland.

Mörsugur combines Icelandic poetry, electronic and acoustic music, visual art, and theater into a captivating 50-minute staged composition. The non-linear narrative draws on the contrasts of Icelandic landscapes and seasons, employing diverse vocal styles and video art by Ásdís Birna Gylfadóttir. The project has been praised for its emotional depth and transformative storytelling. 

Photo taken by julie Rowland.

Last but most certainly not least was the project Tacet: Extrinsic by Hildur Elísa Jónsdóttir. 

Tacet: Extrinsic explores the duality of sound and silence, emphasizing the unique, fleeting nature of live performances. Through her work, Hildur challenges the constructs of musical and temporal realities. 

After the presentations, attendees gathered for Dark Mingle, a networking session with light refreshments. Additional artists from Dark Music Days joined the gathering before heading to the next concert at Ásmundarsalur.