Art metal for sinfonietta
The Icelandic composer Bára Gísladóttir likes to think of sound as a living being and often creates music with that as her starting point. At this concert, BIT20 Ensemble will perform her 2023 work 'The moon is an eye is a pond and so on and so forth'.

'It’s a kind of art-metal for sinfonietta', says Bjarni Frímann Bjarnason, the newly appointed artistic director of the BIT20 Ensemble from 1st of January 2025.

Like Bára Gísladóttir, Bjarnason is also Icelandic, a composer and musician in addition to being a conductor and artistic director for BIT20 Ensemble. BIT20 Ensemble performed Gísladóttir’s pieces Animals of your pasture and Beðið at the concert Norden – Island. This inspired the ensemble to delve deeper into the music of the sought-after composer.

“The works of Bára Gísladóttir are characterised by a deep and self-reflective calm, at times producing an almost meditative state in the music. In her pieces, time is as likely to move in circles as it is moving forwards towards a distinct goal.”

– Sune Anderberg, music journalist

Bára Gísladóttir The moon is an eye is a pond and so on and so forth (65’’)

Bjarni Frímann Bjarnason conductor
BIT20 Ensemble

Venue Håkonshallen
Date 25th of May
Concert 7.30 PM

23rd of May
6PM - 9PM
In connection with the concert, there will be an open rehearsal with Bára Gísladóttir and Bjarni Frímann Bjarnason for the young composers affiliated with the Festival Academy of Bergen (FAB).

24th of May:
Q&A with Bára Gísladóttir, Bjarni Frímann Bjarnason and BIT20 Ensemble for FAB-composers.

Photo: Gabrielle Motola