The Steadfast Toy Soldier, the graduation project of Þorbjörg Roach Gunnarsdóttir, will be performed on May 11th at 7pm at Salurinn, Kópavogur. Þorbjörg has been studying Creative Music Communication at the music department of the Iceland University of the Arts for the last three years,  graduating this spring with a BA degree.
 
Þorbjörg began studying at the IUA in 2015. She has been focusing on composition during her studies as her final project reveals.  Alongside her studies she has also been working at leisure centers with young children, where she has e.g. been telling a lot of stories and adventures to great acclaim of the children. 
 
Her graduation project combines these two elements that have been so important in her life for the past years, music-m and children. In her graduate piece you will be able to listen to a composition Þorbjörg composed for a small symphony orchestra and a story-teller.  The composition is especially inteneded for children and is based on the adventure The Steadfast Toy Soldier by H. C. Anderson. The ballerina and the devil from the adventure are brought to life with the assistance of the instruments where the clarinet represents the toy soldier. Þorbjörg will also talk about the idea behind the composition, the process and her work on this project.
 
Performers:
Symphony Orchestra of the Music School of Hafnarfjörður
Story-teller: Pétur Eggertsson 
Bassoon: Emilía Rán Benediktsdóttir 
Violin: Aldís Bergsveinsdóttir 
Violas: Katrín Arndísardóttir and Steina Kristín Ingólfsdóttir 
Piano: Anela Bakraqi 
Keyboards: Anna Þórhildur Gunnarsdóttir 
Percussion: Örvar Erling Árnason and Andrés Þór Þorvarðarson 

 

Conductor: Ármann Helgason
 
Free entrance - everybody welcome. 
 
Photo credits: Leifur Wilberg