The Icelandic Chamber Music Festival was initiated by young Icelandic music students, Helgi Jónsson and Guðný Þóra Guðmundsdóttir, who regretted the lack of music courses during the summer time and decided to take matters into their own hands. The first festival took place in August 2008 and the second one a year later. It had over 100 participants from Europe, the US and Asia.
The festival offers music courses for people of a wide range of age as well as an exciting concert series. The festival’s timing in the first two weeks of August was chosen since these are the last two weeks of summer holidays in schools and music schools in Iceland, thus the festival is meant to be the kickoff of the new school year. The aim of the festival is for young musicians to get to know each other, participate in chamber music and to get a chance to perform, irrespective of where they live or study.
All of this would not be possible if it wasn’t for our sponsors. One of our major sponsors is the municipality Kópavogur, which provides us with all the necessary facilities on one spot: the Kópavogur Music School, the new youth centre Molinn and Salurinn, Iceland’s finest concert hall.
The festival will be held for the fourth time this year 2011, from August 3 to 13. In light of the hard blow that the Icelandic economy and Icelandic families have suffered due to the financial crisis, we feel that the need for a common ground for young musicians, with concerts and master classes, is greater than ever.
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