Dark Music Days is an Icelandic contemporary music festival that takes place annually in Reykjavík, Iceland. Held during some of the darkest days of winter, Dark Music Days provides the foremost platform for showcasing innovative and progressive contemporary music in Iceland.
Founded in 1980 by the Society of Icelandic Composers, the festival focuses on premiering new and mostly experimental pieces that reflect the diversity and creativity of contemporary music. Dark Music Days in the Icelandic music community is both an eye opener for the general public and an incubator for innovation, collaboration and inspiration within the music community itself.
The Dark Music Days want to encourage new projects to debut. The bold strategy has resulted in more new musical works premiering each year than at any other Icelandic cultural event. The festival celebrates the richness of contemporary music creation in Iceland and presents a variety of concerts and compositions in different styles by different composers. This year's festival will take place from 23 January until 29 January.
One of the great pieces is VÍDDIR by composer Bára Gísladóttir: VÍDDIR is a piece for nine flutes, electric bass, double bass and three percussionists. The work boasts a special sonic landscape where texture and dimensions play a key role. The main idea behind the composition is to merge different elements into one organism. The works of Bára Gísladóttir are characterised by a deep and self-reflective calm, at times producing an almost meditative state through the music.
More information about the program can be found here.
