BAROKKBANDIÐ BRÁK
Barokkbandið Brák lead by the renowned icelandic violinist Elfa Rún Kristinsdóttir was founded in 2015 in collaboration with Elfa´s colleagues Guðbjörg Hlín Guðmundsdóttir and Laufey Jensdóttir. The ensemble mainly consists of Icelandic musicians who all share a passion for historically informed performance of Renaissance and Baroque music and seek to bring the music from this period to a wide audience in Iceland and abroad.
Since its founding the group has held numerous concerts in Iceland with great success. Most of Brák’s performances have been recorded and broadcasted by the Icelandic National Radio (RÚV) and a few recordings are now available online. Barokkbandið Brák frequently collaborates with renowned singers, dancers and instrumentalists from all over Europe giving each individual project its own unique sound and concept.
Barokkbandið Brák won Performance of the year award in the classical category at the Icelandic Music Awards in 2020 for their concert Brák & Bach at Harpa Concert Hall. The band has received numerous award nominations and great reviews since its founding.
CONCERTO SCIROCCO
The ensemble Concerto Scirocco, founded in 2009, is dedicated to historically informed performance practice. This eclectic ensemble of early instruments is united by a common enthusiasm for the music of the renaissance, of the early baroque and of the baroque Era, and seeks to combine personal creativity with an awareness of historical performance practices garnered through experience of the world of early music.
Concerto Scirocco is known for its exceptional artistry, combining meticulous historical research with vibrant musicality. Their performances bring historical music to life, offering audiences a rich and immersive experience. The ensemble regularly appears at prestigious festivals and venues across Europe, including the Festival Oude Muziek in Utrecht, the Innsbruck Early Music Festival, and numerous Italian concert series.
Committed to education and outreach, Concerto Scirocco also engages in workshops and lectures aimed at fostering a deeper appreciation for early music. Their passion for storytelling through sound ensures their place as a distinguished voice in the world of historically informed performance.
MARCIN ŚWIATKIEWICZ
Marcin Świątkiewicz is one of the most recognisable harpsichordists of the young generation, winner of the “Polityka” weekly’s Passport Award for 2015. He performs on different types of historical keyboard instruments. He regularly collaborates with such leading international and Polish ensembles as Brecon Baroque, Arte dei Suonatori, and {oh!} Historical Orchestra. With these groups he has recorded for such labels as BIS, Channel Classics, Accent, Alpha, Decca, Linn Records, and DUX, as well as for radio and television broadcasters throughout Europe. 2015 saw the release of his album featuring harpsichord concertos by the late Baroque composer Johann Gottfried Müthel (awarded a Diapason d’Or), and in 2017 – the multi-award-winning CD Cromatica. His recording of Biber’s Rosenkranzsonaten (with Rachel Podger and David Miller) won the Gramophone Award.
AKADEMIE FÜR DE ALTE MUSIK BERLIN
Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, founded in 1982, is one of the world’s leading period instrument ensembles. Based in Berlin, Akamus is renowned for its historically informed performances of Baroque, Classical, and early Romantic repertoire. With over four decades of groundbreaking work, the ensemble has established itself as a key figure in the revival of early music.
Akamus performs regularly at prestigious venues such as the Konzerthaus Berlin, Philharmonie Berlin, and international festivals like the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music and the Edinburgh International Festival. Their discography includes more than 100 acclaimed recordings, earning prestigious awards like the Grammy, Diapason d’Or, and Echo Klassik.
The ensemble collaborates with leading conductors, soloists, and opera productions worldwide, often partnering with acclaimed artists such as René Jacobs and Anna Prohaska. Their commitment to innovation is evident in imaginative programs that blend historical authenticity with modern artistry.
Celebrated for its vibrant and dynamic performances, Akamus has cultivated a dedicated global audience. Whether exploring the works of Bach, Handel, or Mozart, the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin continues to inspire and redefine the possibilities of early music performance.
ESPOON BAROKKI
Espoo baroque is a group consisting of early music professionals that live and/or work in Finland’s second largest city Espoo. The group's first performance took place in Espoo Cathedral in 2015, after which Espoo Baroque has performed in more than 30 different places around Espoo and in other cities in Finland. Espoo baroque has visited several festivals in Finland and in past projects the group has been conducted by early music specialists such as Anssi Mattila, Aapo Häkkinen and Sirkka-Liisa Kaakinen-Pilch. Espoo baroque regularly performs big church music works, such as J.S.Bach’s St. John and St. Matthew passions, Christmas oratorio and B minor mass, together with choirs from Espoo. Since the fall of 2019, Espoo baroque has its own local festival, Espoo Baroque Days, which takes place every year in a different part of the city.
GADUS MORHUA
Baroque cello and the icelandic traditional instrument ‘langspil’ met for the first time - that we know - in Stykkishólmur in the summer 2016. Their harmony let imagination loose, and a new style was born: turfhouse baroque.
Eyjólfur Eyjólfsson, Björk Níelsdóttir and Steinunn Arnbjörg Stefánsdóttir are the founding members of Gadus Morhua Ensemble. They perform on various occasions and festivals in Iceland and abroad. They released their first album in 2020, Peysur og parruk, and the next one is coming soon.
Gadus Morhua is latin for North-Atlantic cod. National and international at the same time, as is the music of Gadus Morhua Ensemble. Traditional music and songs in home-made arrangements, baroque and renaissance music, original poems and music braid baroque and traditional sound into a sweet and fresh folk-hurly-burly.
XENIA LÖFFLER
Xenia Löffler is a celebrated Baroque oboist and principal oboist of the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin since 2001. Known for her historically informed performances, she has appeared at prestigious venues worldwide, including Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, and the Concertgebouw.
Her discography features acclaimed recordings of works by Bach, Vivaldi, and Platti, showcasing her mastery of the Baroque oboe. Beyond her performing career, Löffler holds a professorship for historic oboe at the Unversität der Künste Berlin and leads masterclasses at renowned institutions.
With a deep commitment to exploring the oboe's rich repertoire, Löffler has solidified her status as one of the foremost interpreters of early music.
NATALIA DUARTE
Natalia Duarte is a Costa Rican violist and educator based in Reykjavik. Her artistic practice revolves around historical performance practice, improvisation and participatory practices in music pedagogy especially targeted to the youngest audiences and their families. She has experience teaching in music schools, cultural associations and non-profit organizations in her home country, Spain, Italy and Iceland.
She completed a master's degree in music education at the Conservatory of Padua in 2022, following further training in Edwin Gordon’s Music Learning Theory for children ages 0 to 6, at AIGAM in Milano. In Iceland, she has been training in the Tónagull method with Helga Rut Guðmundsdóttir. In 2024 Natalia received a grant from Barnamenningarsjoður to support Music Moment/Tónlistarstund, a participatory concert series for children ages 0-6 at the Nordic House, and also participated at Kátt Klambra festival.
Besides her educational work, Natalia is specialized in modern and early music, regularly performing with early music orchestras and chamber ensembles such as Ensemble laBarocca di Milano (IT), Arianna Art Ensemble (IT), Academia Montis Regalis (IT), Innsbrucker Festwochenorchester (AT), Orkester Nord (NO) and others. In Iceland she has collaborated with ensembles like Barokkbandið Brák, Cauda Collective, Camerarctica, Capella Reykjavicensis, and Kammersveitar Breiðholts, performing in venues including Harpa, Skálholt summer festival, and Salurinn. She co-founded Kammerhópurinn ConsorTico with whom she performed at the first edition of the Reykjavik Early Music Festival in 2024.
ANNA TÓTH
Anna Tóth is a cellist with a special focus on Baroque music. Born in 1995, she started playing the cello at 7 and quickly found a love for orchestra playing, joining youth orchestras at age 10 and going on tours and competitions. Over the years, she’s performed with several ensembles, including the Szeged Symphony Orchestra, Kecskemét Symphony Orchestra, Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, and Trondheim Soloists.
Her deep passion for Baroque music led her to pursue a Master’s in Baroque Cello at the NTNU Department of Music in Trondheim, where she studies with Torleif Holm. She’s worked with musicians and ensembles like TSO Tidlig, Ann Hallenberg, and Solis Consort, and is part of the project “En reise gjennom tidligmusikken”, which brings early music to new audiences.
SVAFA ÞÓRHALLSDÓTTIR
Svafa Þórhallsdóttir was born in Reykjavik in 1981. She graduated with a music teaching diploma from the Reykjavik School of Music and later earned a master’s degree in vocal music and music education from the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen. Svafa works as a music teacher, singer, and choir director in Copenhagen. She has a special interest in musical development in children and is a member of the music group “Den poetiske elefant” (The Poetic Elephant), which regularly performs classical concerts for children.
OLGA HEIKKILÄ
A young Finnish Soprano, Ms. Olga Heikkilä is widely specialized in opera-, church- and chamber music. She appears regularly as an opera singer on the stages of Stuttgart and Berlin State Operas in Germany and La Monnaie in Brussels, Belgium.
She is in great demand as an art song interpreter and regularly has solo recitals in Europe and the United States. Educated at the Sibelius Academy in Finland and Danish Royal Opera Academy, Ms. Heikkilä has further established her skills with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and Mikael Eliasen.
Ms. Olga Heikkilä is a prize winner of many prestigious international vocal competitions and has been honored with several grants.