Þráinn Hjálmarsson, composer
Premiered at New Music for Strings 2019 Festival in Reykjavík, Iceland
Information: Voice, 3 violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos
Performances: Premiered by Þórunn Vala Valdimarsdóttir, Connie Wei Wan, Daniel McCarthy, Ertan Torgul, Júlía Mogensen, Ísak Ríkharðsson, Sólveig Steinþórsdóttir and Þórdís Gerður Jónsdóttir at New Music for Strings 2019 festival at Harpa concert hall, Reykjavík, Iceland. 15th of August 2019.
Review: "The calm "Immaterial / Fleeting" by Thrainn Hjalmarsson was also great, it contained iterations of superquiet chords, at the threshold of the audible, like a meditation on eternity"
- Jónas Sen (Fréttablaðið, 23rd of August 2019)
Workshopped in 2018 at Cycle Music and arts festival in Kópavogur, Iceland
Information: circle flute (4 flutists) and voice
Performances: Workshopped with flutists Berglind María Tómasdóttir, Björg Brjánsdóttir, Steinunn Vala Pálsdóttir, Melkorka Ólafsdóttir and vocalist Sophie Fetokaki in October 2018.
Written for Marco Fusi in 2018.
Information: viola d'amore and (optional) electronics
Performances: Premiered by Marco Fusi - 7th of July 2018 at Sumartónleikar í Skálholtskirkju, Iceland.
Written for Vertixe Sonora in 2017.
Information: flute (bass and alto), clarinet in Bb, violin, viola, violoncello and double bass
Performances: Premiered by Vertixe Sonora - 1st of October 2017 at Museum Verbo, Vigo, Spain. Icelandic premiere by CAPUT ensemble - 26th of January 2018 at Fríkirkjan, Reykjavík.
Opera for a circle flute and a vocalist. Collaboration with artists Brynjar Sigurðarson and Veronika Sedlmair.
Information: Four flutists (Circle flute) and a vocalist
Workshops: 9th and 10th of September 2017 at Archives Nationales - Salon de Prince Ovale, Paris. Participants: Patrice Bocquillon, Sophie Deshayes, Ludivine Issambourg, Gionata Sgambaro and vocalist Irène Bourdat.
To be continued in 2018
Trailer made by Alexandre Humbert
Work for a contrabass clarinet and playback, premiered by Ingólfur Vilhjálmsson
Information: Contrabass clarinet (paperclip) and playback
Performances: Premiered 23rd of September 2017 at Mengi, Reykjavík.
Published on a new album by Ingólfur Vilhjálmsson, autum 2017.
Work for an Orchestra, premiered by Iceland Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Daníel Bjarnason
Information: 3.3.0.0.- 0.0.0.0 - 4 percussion - 12.10.8.6.2
Performances: Premiered 27th of January 2017 at Dark Music Days 2017 at Harpa Concert Hall, Reykjavík.
Devised music performance for four flute players playing the circle flute by Studio Brynjar & Veronika
Information: Devised music performance in collaboration with Bettina Danielle Berger, Bjørnar Habbestad, Marieke Franssen and Michael Schmid.
Performances: Performed 22nd and 23rd of October at the exhibition Joining Forces with the unknown by Lafayette anticipation, Paris.
Composition for a solo performer and live electronics.
Information: Solo performer and live electronics. Circa. 5 minutes.
Technical information: A special software (for Mac) follows with the score.
Performances: Premiered 30th of September 2016 at Nordic Music Days Festival 2016 in Harpa Concert Hall.
Watch the web-trailer
Composition for a baroque ensemble, written for Nordic affect.
Information: Violin, Viola, Cello (Baroque instruments). Circa. 10 minutes.
About: Opaque sonic events in a lucid surrounding.
Performances: Premiered 30th of January 2016 at Dark Music Days Festival 2016 in Harpa Concert Hall.
Funded by: Composers fund of RÚV.
Promotional photo for Diptych
In situ time-based installation - Composition for a flute choir accompanying an audio installation made in collaboration with Sigurður Guðjónsson for an in situ installation at Kópavogur Asylum, Iceland.
Information: Flute choir (12 flutes, 2 doubling bass flutes), stereo playback, circa. 50 minutes, written for The Icelandic Flute ensemble.
About:
Funded by: Artist Salary, Government of Iceland.
Performances: Premiered 14th of July 2015 at Cycle - Music festival.
Still from the video
Video work made in collaboration with visual artist Sigurður Guðjónsson
Information: 1 channel HD video, stereo sound, 14 minutes
About:
Relief 2015 is part of a dialogue between visual artist Sigurður Guðjónsson and composer Þráinn Hjálmarsson.
Screenings: 13th of August - 11th of October 2015 - Part of the exhibition NEW RELEASES curated by Nadmi Samman. At Gerðarsafn Museum, Kópavogur in relation to the Music and Art Festival Cycle 2015.
Funded by: Artist Salary, Government of Iceland.
CREDITS:
Performer: The Icelandic Flute Ensemble
Director: Sigurður Guðjónsson
Composition: Þráinn Hjálmarsson
Filmography: Sigurður Guðjónsson and Arnar Bergmann
Editing and Mixing: Sigurður Guðjónson and Þráinn Hjálmarsson
Duration: 14'
Instrumentation: For 12 flutes, written for The Icelandic Flute ensemble
Program Notes: A method of painting in gray monochrome, typically to imitate sculpture.
Performances: Premiered 27th of March 2015 at Nordic House Reykjavík. Part of International flute festival in Reykjavík.
Funded by: Artist Salary, Government of Iceland.
Other: Recorded by the National radio broadcast.
An excerpt from the work - To gain access to the whole work for perusal use, please contact via e-mail
3 minute excerpt from a performance by Basel Sinfonietta in Tonhalle, Zürich, 3rd of October 2015.
Review:
"[...] the composer manages to create the impression of noises and their echo, distant sounds, maybe not just from a the other side of the room, but like coming from another room, almost visualizing acoustics — most unusual! Gradually, one hears breathy, distant melody fragments, sounds like from Aeolian harps, maybe allusions to a distant Ranz des Vaches (Kuhreihen), glissandos, sound waves building up, like a hilly landscape in the distance — never loud, rather like the breathing of a fairy, associated with breathy whistling tones: fascinating and enchanting!"
- Rolf Kyburz, Bachtrack in October 2015
English version available here.
Duration: 11'
Instrumentation: 3.3.3.1.-1.3.3.0 - 3 percussion, timpani- 12.10.8.6.4
Program Notes: As heard across a room
In the work, the orchestra seeks to reproduce how an imagined
sound event would appear as it would be heard across an
imagined room.
The room resonance of this imagined space becomes interwoven to the
original event, what remains is a silhouette of the original
sounding even
Score: See the full score online
Performances:
Other:
Duration: 5'
Instrumentation: Clarinet in Bb and video [w/audio]
Performances: Premiered 11th of October 2014 by Ingólfur Vilhjálmsson, at Sláturtíð 2014 Music Festival at Reykjavík Art Museum - Hafnarhús.
Duration: 5' looped video / installation
Other: Made in collaboration with Halldór Úlfarsson, visual artist
Click on the screenshot from the video above to watch the trailer - To gain access to the whole work for perusal use, please contact via e-mail.
Duration: 8'
Instrumentation: Viola solo
Performances: Premiered 9th of May 2014 by Kristín Þóra Haraldsdóttir, at Tectonics 2014 Glasgow festival, at St. Andrew's in the Square, Glasgow, Scotland.
Duration: 10'
Instrumentation: Alt flute, clarinet in Bb, Harp and Percussion
Other: Written for Enemble Adapter
Performances: Premiered 27th of February 2014 by Ensemble Adapter at Radialsystem V in Berlin, at Nordlichter Biennal Music Festival.
Duration: 7'
Instrumentation: vln., vln., vla., pno.
Other: Written for KAMMER 2013 - Music Festival in Iceland
Performances: Premiered 12th of July 2013 - Premiered by Tinna Þorsteinsdóttir, Bjarni Frímann Bjarnason, Viktor Orri Árnason and Guðný Guðmundsdóttir, at Reykjavík Art Museum - Hafnarhús.
Recording from a rehearsal of the work
Duration: 10'
Instrumentation: 4 performers [video notation]
Other: Written for the occasion of a portrait concert at Ephémére concert series in Studio Loos, Den Haag, Holland
About: A figurative motif is expanded and repeated throughout the piece. The intention is to explore the different aspects of the same material, altering the focus of these sounds to the surface, to the rhythmic and to the 'musical'.
Performances: Premiered 13th of 2013 - Studio Loos, Den Haag, The Netherlands - performed by Rodrigo Parejo Mateos, Lovorka Holjevac, Karl Ingi Karlsson and Þráinn Hjálmarsson
Excerpt from the premiere of the work
Duration: 9'
Instrumentation: vln., vla., vlc., db., perc., perc.,
About: Acoustics of buildings is one of the most influential part on music history, the dialogue between the performer and the acoustics is crucial in the development of musical forms, from that dialogue ideas on orchestra sizes and uses (and making) of instruments has been developed.
Performances: Premiered 18th of April 2013 - Premiered by Icelandic Symphony Orchestra, in Eldborg Hall in Harpa, Tectonics festival 2013.
Recorded by the National radio broadcast
Awards: Nominated for the ROSTRUM award in the category of composers younger than 30 years of age.
Click on the image above to watch and listen to the work, Influence of buildings on musical tone [2013].
Duration: 6'
Instrumentation: cl., hrn., vln., vla., db., perc.
About: MMXIII is written with a particular acoustic space in mind. It is the intention with the piece to build this small acoustic space with the work, to project the space with this piece. A dry and small acoustic space that draws the attention to nuances of the instruments.
There has been theories on that the affect of large resonating acoustic spaces have influenced our ideas on the use of pitch in music. MMXIII may have boycotted this.
Other: Written for Kammersveit Reykjavíkur - The Reykjavík Chamber orchestra
Performances: Premiered 3rd of February 2013 - Premiered by Kammersveit Reykjavíkur, in Northern Light Hall in Harpa, on the final concert of Dark Music Days 2013.
Recorded by the National radio broadcast
Recording of a performance by Reykjavík Chamber Orchestra at Harpa Concert Hall, February 2013
Duration: 10'
Instrumentation: 2 bass flutes
About: The piece is concerned with the "musical characters" of instruments within a traditional form of duet, but where the relationship between each performer is defined visually in "animated notation" that was made parallel to the composition process.
Other: Animated notation visible to audience
Performances: Premiered by Martial Nardaeu and Þráinn Hjálmarsson at Sláturtíð 2012 Music Festival, in Reykjavík Art Museum - Hafnarhús.
Click on the image above to watch the score to the work with audio from the premiere
Duration: 7'
Instrumentation: Harp and Percussion [video notation and standard notation.
Other: Written for Duo Harpverk. Animated notation visible to audience
Performances: Premiered 23rd of April 2013 - Iðnó, Reykjavík. Concert of Duo Harpverk.
Duration: 7'
Instrumentation: db., db., perc.
Other: Written for Tectonic 2012 - Reykjavík - Music Festival.
Performances: Premiered 3rd of March 2012 at 21, Norðurljós, Harpa Concert Hall, Reykjavík, Iceland. Performed by members of Örn Ýmir Arason, double bass, Bára Gísladóttir, double bass and Frank Aarnink, percussion.
Duration: 5' [looped video]
Information: Video installation. Looped video. Beamer, DVD player and headphones. Size variable.
About: Noise is projected into a corner and filtered through the lens of the viewer. The piece is made for an exhibition in Gallery Suðsuðvestur in 2011.
Exhibition: Gallerú Suðsuðvestur, Keflavík, Iceland - 2. - 4. september 2011.
Image from the installation in Gallery Suðsuðvestur
Duration: length variable
Instrumentation: Composition for 4 performers.
About: Live rendered video score. The score is projected into the performance space. Rhythmic material is varied by the projection of the score into a space, the material varies by the projected transformation of the score. The score is beamed into/onto a corner, that is, at the meeting point of 2 wall surfaces, that can be of any angle.
Performances: Premiered 9th of June 2011, Studio Loos, Den Haag, Holland. Sketch of Projected Notation - Performed by Karl Ingi Karlsson, Lovorka Holjevac, Nikolaj Kynde and Þráinn Hjálmarsson
Duration: 10'
Instrumentation:6 performers (open instrumentation), detailed video score.
Setup: The video score is projected and visible for both the audience and the performers in concert.
About: Written for Ensemble Klang in February 2011. Sculpture #3 is part of the sculpture series.
Performances: Premiered 21st of April 2011, by Klang Ensemble at Studio Loos, Den Haag, Holland.
Watch an excerpt from a live performance by Ensemble Klang by clicking the image above
Duration: 7'
Instrumentation: 2 groups of 4 performers
Setup: The video score is projected and visible for both the audience and the performers in concert.
Performances: Premiered 18th of April 2010 by DEN HAAG ALL STARS ENSEMBLE performed at Studio Loos, Den Haag, Holland
See the score and listen to a recording of a performance by Fengjastrútur ensemble in 2010 by clicking the image above.
Duration: 7'
Instrumentation: Piano solo
About: For this piece I composed a truth [a composer] which was based on the performance practice of animated notation.
Performances: Premiered 18th of December 2010, Norræna húsið, Reykjavík, Iceland. Solo recital of Tinna Þorsteinsdóttir, pianist.
Duration: 3'
Information: Video performance
Performances: Premiered at Sláturtíð 2011 at Reykjavík Art Museum - Hafnarhús, by ensemble Skmendanikka.
Duration: 6'
Instrumentation: 1.1.1.1.-2.1.1.0 – 2 percussion, strings 3.3.2.2.1
About: Sculpture #1-1 was written for the IMD 2010 music festival in Amsterdam in February 2010, conducted by Ari Hróðmarsson.
Performances: Premiered 12th of February 2010, IMD orchestra conducted by Ari Hrodmarsson at KvA, Amsterdam, Holland
Click the image above to watch a live performance of the work
Duration: 7'
Instrumentation: Cymbal Choir and Tubular bells (5 performers), detailed video score.
About: Written for Sláturtíð music festival in 2009.
Performances: Premiered 17th of October 2009, Sláturtíð, Fríkirkjan, Reykjavík, Iceland. Performed by Frank Aarnink, Guðmundur Steinn Gunnarsson, Jesper Pedersen, Ólafur Björn Ólafsson and Páll Ivan Pálsson
Live recording from the premiere in 2009.
Duration: 5'
Instrumentation: 6 performers
About: Constant was written for the Nordic tour of S.L.á.T.U.R in 2009
Performances: Premiered 24th of August 2009 at Huset, Ã…lborg, Denmark by Frank Aarnink, Áki Ásgeirsson, Guðmundur Steinn Gunnarsson, Ingi Garðar Erlendsson and Jesper Pedersen.
Click the image above to watch a live performance by members of S.L.Á.T.U.R
Duration: 12'
Instrumentation: Piano, Violin, Violin, Viola, Violincello and Double Bass.
About: /7 is made from the tools/ideology of the Romanian composer Horatiu Radulescu, as presented in his book, Sound Plasma. The string quintet is tuned in a special scordatura, a java-application follows with the score to help out tuning the quintet.
Performances: Premiered 14th of May 2009, Kjarvalsstaðir, Reykjavík Art Museum, Reykjvík, Iceland. Performed by Tinna Þorsteinsdóttir, piano, Hulda Jónsdóttir, violin, Sigrún Harðardóttir, violin, Kristín Þóra Haraldsdóttir, viola, Þórður Hermannsson, cello and Birgit Myschi, double bass
/7 performed by Uusinta ensemble in Helsinki, 2010.
Duration: 5'
Instrumentation: 4 performers
About: Was written for the album S.L.Á.T.U.R vol. 1
Click the image above to watch the full score of the work
Duration: 3'
Instrumentation: 8 bassoons and 2 contrabassons, video notation.
About: BOK was written for the New Years concert of S.L.á.T.U.R in 2009.
The new years-concert of S.L.á.T.U.R often carries a theme and this time it was for this special instrumentation of 10 bassoons. An event/piece written for 8 bassoons and 2 Contrabassoons for this special occasion.
Periodic visual metronome is used in the piece
Performances: Premiered 9th of January 2009, Fríkirkjan, Reykjavík, Iceland. Performed by Ásthildur Ákadóttir, bassoon, Björg Brjánsdóttir, bassoon, Bryndís Þórsdóttir, bassoon, Dagbjört Ingólfsdóttir, bassoon, Darri Mikaelsson, bassoon, Kristín Mjöll Jakobsdóttir, contrabassoon, Sigríður Kristjánsdóttir, bassoon, Snorri Heimisson, contrabassoon and Þórður Magnús Tryggvason, bassoon
Click the image above to watch a live performance of the work
Duration: variable 15-20'
Instrumentation: Alto Flute, Bass clarinet, Violin, Percussion and Piano.
About: _4 was written for Njúton ensemble in 2008. Equal tempered visual metronome is used in the piece. Visible to both performers and audience.
Performances: Premiered 25th of July 2008, Ketilhús, Listagil, Akureyri, Iceland. Performed by Njúton Ensemble
Performance of Njúton Ensemble in Reykjavík in 2008
Duration: variable 15-20'
Instrumentation: Open instrumentation, number of performers
About: The piece draws out and determines relationships of sounding events from 1-12. The score is rendered before each performance.
"Mixed media"/ Meta-piece
Printouts from the score can be seen below + rendering code for the piece. To be rendered in the software NodeBox.
# Constellation (2008) - Thrainn Hjalmarsson
# to render: press command + R
# to render in full screen: press command + shift + R
# You have to have the graph-library on your computer to render - see
# www.nodebox.net (2007)
try:
graph = ximport("graph")
except ImportErrror:
graph = ximport("__init__")
reload(graph)
size(800,700)
g = graph.create(iterations=500, distance=1.8)
# Markov Chain, controls the outcome
kedja = { "1":["3","4","4","4","5","7", "7", "7", "7","9", "11"],
"2":["4","4","4","5","6","8", "10", "10", "10","12","12","12","12"],
"3":["5", "6","7","7","7","7","9","11", "1"],
"4":["6","7","7","7","7", "8", "10","10","10", "12","12","12","12","2","2","2"],
"5":["7", "7", "7", "7","8","9","11", "1", "3"],
"6":["8","9", "10","10","10","12","12","12","12", "2", "2", "2", "3"],
"7":["9","10","10","10","11", "1", "3", "5"],
"8":["10","10","10","11", "2", "2", "2", "4", "4","4", "6","12","12","12","12"],
"9":["1","3","5", "7", "7", "7", "7","11","12","12","12","12"],
"10":["1", "2", "2", "2", "4","4","4", "6","8","12","12","12","12"],
"11":["1", "2", "2", "2", "3", "5", "7", "7", "7","7","9"],
"12":["2", "2", "2", "3", "4", "4", "4", "6", "8", "10","10","10"]
}
note = "1";
#For i in range-number controls how often the chain is read throgh
for i in range(25):
last = note;
note = choice(kedja[last]);
g.add_node(note);
g.add_edge(last, note);
# Setup codes
speed(30)
def draw():
path = []
if g.done:
id1 = choice(g.keys())
g.draw(highlight=path, traffic=4, weighted=True, directed=True)
g.solve()
g.draw(weighted=True, directed=True, highlight=[], traffic=10)
Duration: 3'
Instrumentation: Toy Piano
Duration: 6'
Instrumentation: Open instrumentation, number of performers. Originally performed by Fred Frith, Frank Denyer, James Fulkerson, Áki Ásgeirsson, Guðmundur Steinn Gunnarsson, Hilmar Þórðarson and Charles Ross.
About: Written for the Eiðar Sonic Arts 2007 project, in Eiðar in the summer of 2007.
Duration: 8'
Instrumentation: 4 Thranophones (#1) and radios
About: I developed the Thranophone in 2007, which is an instrument that bases it's sound from resonances of objects. Further on Thranophones.
Performances: Premiered 5th of December 2007, Academy of the Arts, Reykjavík, Iceland. Performers: Alex McNeil, Áki Ásgeirsson, Magnús Jensson and Þráinn Hjálmarsson.
Work for a contrabass clarinet and playback, premiered by Ingólfur Vilhjálmsson
Information: Contrabass clarinet (paperclip) and playback
Performances: Premiered 23rd of September 2017 at Mengi, Reykjavík.
Published on a new album by Ingólfur Vilhjálmsson, autum 2017.
Composition for a solo performer and live electronics.
Information: Solo performer and live electronics. Circa. 5 minutes.
Technical information: A special software (for Mac) follows with the score.
Performances: Premiered 30th of September 2016 at Nordic Music Days Festival 2016 in Harpa Concert Hall.
Watch the web-trailer
Duration: 8'
Instrumentation: Viola solo
Performances: Premiered 9th of May 2014 by Kristín Þóra Haraldsdóttir, at Tectonics 2014 Glasgow festival, at St. Andrew's in the Square, Glasgow, Scotland.
Duration: 7'
Instrumentation: Piano solo
About: For this piece I composed a truth [a composer] which was based on the performance practice of animated notation.
Performances: Premiered 18th of December 2010, Norræna húsið, Reykjavík, Iceland. Solo recital of Tinna Þorsteinsdóttir, pianist.
Duration: 3'
Instrumentation: Toy Piano
Composition for a baroque ensemble, written for Nordic affect.
Information: Violin, Viola, Cello (Baroque instruments). Circa. 10 minutes.
About: Opaque sonic events in a lucid surrounding.
Performances: Premiered 30th of January 2016 at Dark Music Days Festival 2016 in Harpa Concert Hall.
Funded by: Composers fund of RÚV.
Duration: 14'
Instrumentation: For 12 flutes, written for The Icelandic Flute ensemble
Program Notes: A method of painting in gray monochrome, typically to imitate sculpture.
Performances: Premiered 27th of March 2015 at Nordic House Reykjavík. Part of International flute festival in Reykjavík.
Other: Recorded by the National radio broadcast.
An excerpt from the work - To gain access to the whole work for perusal use, please contact via e-mail
Duration: 10'
Instrumentation: Alt flute, clarinet in Bb, Harp and Percussion
Other: Written for Enemble Adapter
Performances: Premiered 27th of February 2014 by Ensemble Adapter at Radialsystem V in Berlin, at Nordlichter Biennal Music Festival.
Duration: 7'
Instrumentation: vln., vln., vla., pno.
Other: Written for KAMMER 2013 - Music Festival in Iceland
Performances: Premiered 12th of July 2013 - Premiered by Tinna Þorsteinsdóttir, Bjarni Frímann Bjarnason, Viktor Orri Árnason and Guðný Guðmundsdóttir, at Reykjavík Art Museum - Hafnarhús.
Recording from a rehearsal of the work
Duration: 9'
Instrumentation: vln., vla., vlc., db., perc., perc.,
About: Acoustics of buildings is one of the most influential part on music history, the dialogue between the performer and the acoustics is crucial in the development of musical forms, from that dialogue ideas on orchestra sizes and uses (and making) of instruments has been developed.
Performances: Premiered 18th of April 2013 - Premiered by Icelandic Symphony Orchestra, in Eldborg Hall in Harpa, Tectonics festival 2013.
Recorded by the National radio broadcast
Awards: Nominated for the ROSTRUM award in the category of composers younger than 30 years of age.
Click on the image above to watch and listen to the work, Influence of buildings on musical tone [2013].
Duration: 6'
Instrumentation: cl., hrn., vln., vla., db., perc.
About: MMXIII is written with a particular acoustic space in mind. It is the intention with the piece to build this small acoustic space with the work, to project the space with this piece. A dry and small acoustic space that draws the attention to nuances of the instruments.
There has been theories on that the affect of large resonating acoustic spaces have influenced our ideas on the use of pitch in music. MMXIII may have boycotted this.
Other: Written for Kammersveit Reykjavíkur - The Reykjavík Chamber orchestra
Performances: Premiered 3rd of February 2013 - Premiered by Kammersveit Reykjavíkur, in Northern Light Hall in Harpa, on the final concert of Dark Music Days 2013.
Recorded by the National radio broadcast
Recording of a performance by Reykjavík Chamber Orchestra at Harpa Concert Hall, February 2013
Duration: 7'
Instrumentation: db., db., perc.
Other: Written for Tectonic 2012 - Reykjavík - Music Festival.
Performances: Premiered 3rd of March 2012 at 21, Norðurljós, Harpa Concert Hall, Reykjavík, Iceland. Performed by members of Örn Ýmir Arason, double bass, Bára Gísladóttir, double bass and Frank Aarnink, percussion.
Duration: 12'
Instrumentation: Piano, Violin, Violin, Viola, Violincello and Double Bass.
About: /7 is made from the tools/ideology of the Romanian composer Horatiu Radulescu, as presented in his book, Sound Plasma. The string quintet is tuned in a special scordatura, a java-application follows with the score to help out tuning the quintet.
Performances: Premiered 14th of May 2009, Kjarvalsstaðir, Reykjavík Art Museum, Reykjvík, Iceland. Performed by Tinna Þorsteinsdóttir, piano, Hulda Jónsdóttir, violin, Sigrún Harðardóttir, violin, Kristín Þóra Haraldsdóttir, viola, Þórður Hermannsson, cello and Birgit Myschi, double bass
/7 performed by Uusinta ensemble in Helsinki, 2010.
Duration: 5'
Instrumentation: 6 performers
About: Constant was written for the Nordic tour of S.L.á.T.U.R in 2009
Performances: Premiered 24th of August 2009 at Huset, Ã…lborg, Denmark by Frank Aarnink, Áki Ásgeirsson, Guðmundur Steinn Gunnarsson, Ingi Garðar Erlendsson and Jesper Pedersen.
Click the image above to watch a live performance by members of S.L.Á.T.U.R
Work for an Orchestra, premiered by Iceland Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Daníel Bjarnason
Information: 3.3.0.0.- 0.0.0.0 - 4 percussion - 12.10.8.6.2
Performances: Premiered 27th of January 2017 at Dark Music Days 2017 at Harpa Concert Hall, Reykjavík.
Duration: 11'
Instrumentation: 3.3.3.1.-1.3.3.0 - 3 percussion, timpani- 12.10.8.6.4
Program Notes: In the work, the orchestra seeks to reproduce a sounding event as it would appear after been heard across a room.
Performances: Premiered 4th of October 2014 by BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Ilan Volkov, City Hall, Glasgow, Scotland.
Other: Recorded by BBC Radio 3 and broadcasted on 4th of January 2015.
Reviews on the concert - The Guardian
Click on the image above to access the full score of the work at issuu
Duration: 6'
Instrumentation: 1.1.1.1.-2.1.1.0 – 2 percussion, strings 3.3.2.2.1
About: Sculpture #1-1 was written for the IMD 2010 music festival in Amsterdam in February 2010, conducted by Ari Hróðmarsson.
Performances: Premiered 12th of February 2010, IMD orchestra conducted by Ari Hrodmarsson at KvA, Amsterdam, Holland
Click the image above to watch a live performance of the work
Duration: 5'
Instrumentation: Clarinet in Bb and video [w/audio]
Performances: Premiered 11th of October 2014 by Ingólfur Vilhjálmsson, at Sláturtíð 2014 Music Festival at Reykjavík Art Museum - Hafnarhús.
Duration: 10'
Instrumentation: 4 performers [video notation]
Other: Written for the occasion of a portrait concert at Ephémére concert series in Studio Loos, Den Haag, Holland
About: A figurative motif is expanded and repeated throughout the piece. The intention is to explore the different aspects of the same material, altering the focus of these sounds to the surface, to the rhythmic and to the 'musical'.
Performances: Premiered 13th of 2013 - Studio Loos, Den Haag, The Netherlands - performed by Rodrigo Parejo Mateos, Lovorka Holjevac, Karl Ingi Karlsson and Þráinn Hjálmarsson
Excerpt from the premiere of the work
Duration: 10'
Instrumentation: 2 bass flutes
About: The piece is concerned with the "musical characters" of instruments within a traditional form of duet, but where the relationship between each performer is defined visually in "animated notation" that was made parallel to the composition process.
Other: Animated notation visible to audience
Performances: Premiered by Martial Nardaeu and Þráinn Hjálmarsson at Sláturtíð 2012 Music Festival, in Reykjavík Art Museum - Hafnarhús.
Click on the image above to watch the score to the work with audio from the premiere
Duration: 7'
Instrumentation: Harp and Percussion [video notation and standard notation.
Other: Written for Duo Harpverk. Animated notation visible to audience
Performances: Premiered 23rd of April 2013 - Iðnó, Reykjavík. Concert of Duo Harpverk.
Duration: 10'
Instrumentation:6 performers (open instrumentation), detailed video score.
Setup: The video score is projected and visible for both the audience and the performers in concert.
About: Written for Ensemble Klang in February 2011. Sculpture #3 is part of the sculpture series.
Performances: Premiered 21st of April 2011, by Klang Ensemble at Studio Loos, Den Haag, Holland.
Watch an excerpt from a live performance by Ensemble Klang by clicking the image above
Duration: 7'
Instrumentation: 2 groups of 4 performers
Setup: The video score is projected and visible for both the audience and the performers in concert.
Performances: Premiered 18th of April 2010 by DEN HAAG ALL STARS ENSEMBLE performed at Studio Loos, Den Haag, Holland
See the score and listen to a recording of a performance by Fengjastrútur ensemble in 2010 by clicking the image above.
Duration: 7'
Instrumentation: Cymbal Choir and Tubular bells (5 performers), detailed video score.
About: Written for Sláturtíð music festival in 2009.
Performances: Premiered 17th of October 2009, Sláturtíð, Fríkirkjan, Reykjavík, Iceland. Performed by Frank Aarnink, Guðmundur Steinn Gunnarsson, Jesper Pedersen, Ólafur Björn Ólafsson and Páll Ivan Pálsson
Live recording from the premiere in 2009.
Duration: 3'
Instrumentation: 8 bassoons and 2 contrabassons, video notation.
About: BOK was written for the New Years concert of S.L.á.T.U.R in 2009.
The new years-concert of S.L.á.T.U.R often carries a theme and this time it was for this special instrumentation of 10 bassoons. An event/piece written for 8 bassoons and 2 Contrabassoons for this special occasion.
Periodic visual metronome is used in the piece
Performances: Premiered 9th of January 2009, Fríkirkjan, Reykjavík, Iceland. Performed by Ásthildur Ákadóttir, bassoon, Björg Brjánsdóttir, bassoon, Bryndís Þórsdóttir, bassoon, Dagbjört Ingólfsdóttir, bassoon, Darri Mikaelsson, bassoon, Kristín Mjöll Jakobsdóttir, contrabassoon, Sigríður Kristjánsdóttir, bassoon, Snorri Heimisson, contrabassoon and Þórður Magnús Tryggvason, bassoon
Click the image above to watch a live performance of the work
Duration: 5'
Instrumentation: 4 performers
About: Was written for the album S.L.Á.T.U.R vol. 1
Click the image above to watch the full score of the work
Duration: variable 15-20'
Instrumentation: Alto Flute, Bass clarinet, Violin, Percussion and Piano.
About: _4 was written for Njúton ensemble in 2008. Equal tempered visual metronome is used in the piece. Visible to both performers and audience.
Performances: Premiered 25th of July 2008, Ketilhús, Listagil, Akureyri, Iceland. Performed by Njúton Ensemble
Performance of Njúton Ensemble in Reykjavík in 2008
Duration: length variable
Instrumentation: Composition for 4 performers.
About: Live rendered video score. The score is projected into the performance space. Rhythmic material is varied by the projection of the score into a space, the material varies by the projected transformation of the score. The score is beamed into/onto a corner, that is, at the meeting point of 2 wall surfaces, that can be of any angle.
Performances: Premiered 9th of June 2011, Studio Loos, Den Haag, Holland. Sketch of Projected Notation - Performed by Karl Ingi Karlsson, Lovorka Holjevac, Nikolaj Kynde and Þráinn Hjálmarsson
Duration: variable 15-20'
Instrumentation: Open instrumentation, number of performers
About: The piece draws out and determines relationships of sounding events from 1-12. The score is rendered before each performance.
"Mixed media"/ Meta-piece
Printouts from the score can be seen below + rendering code for the piece. To be rendered in the software NodeBox.
# Constellation (2008) - Thrainn Hjalmarsson
# to render: press command + R
# to render in full screen: press command + shift + R
# You have to have the graph-library on your computer to render - see
# www.nodebox.net (2007)
try:
graph = ximport("graph")
except ImportErrror:
graph = ximport("__init__")
reload(graph)
size(800,700)
g = graph.create(iterations=500, distance=1.8)
# Markov Chain, controls the outcome
kedja = { "1":["3","4","4","4","5","7", "7", "7", "7","9", "11"],
"2":["4","4","4","5","6","8", "10", "10", "10","12","12","12","12"],
"3":["5", "6","7","7","7","7","9","11", "1"],
"4":["6","7","7","7","7", "8", "10","10","10", "12","12","12","12","2","2","2"],
"5":["7", "7", "7", "7","8","9","11", "1", "3"],
"6":["8","9", "10","10","10","12","12","12","12", "2", "2", "2", "3"],
"7":["9","10","10","10","11", "1", "3", "5"],
"8":["10","10","10","11", "2", "2", "2", "4", "4","4", "6","12","12","12","12"],
"9":["1","3","5", "7", "7", "7", "7","11","12","12","12","12"],
"10":["1", "2", "2", "2", "4","4","4", "6","8","12","12","12","12"],
"11":["1", "2", "2", "2", "3", "5", "7", "7", "7","7","9"],
"12":["2", "2", "2", "3", "4", "4", "4", "6", "8", "10","10","10"]
}
note = "1";
#For i in range-number controls how often the chain is read throgh
for i in range(25):
last = note;
note = choice(kedja[last]);
g.add_node(note);
g.add_edge(last, note);
# Setup codes
speed(30)
def draw():
path = []
if g.done:
id1 = choice(g.keys())
g.draw(highlight=path, traffic=4, weighted=True, directed=True)
g.solve()
g.draw(weighted=True, directed=True, highlight=[], traffic=10)
Still from the video
Video work made in collaboration with visual artist Sigurður Guðjónsson
Information: 1 channel HD video, stereo sound, 14 minutes
About: Relief 2015 is part of a dialogue between visual artist Sigurður Guðjónsson and composer Þráinn Hjálmarsson.
Exhibition: Cycle - Music and arts festival, 27th of August 2015 - 11th of October 2015 - Gerðarsafn Museum, Iceland.
CREDITS:
Performer: The Icelandic Flute Ensemble
Director: Sigurður Guðjónsson
Composition: Þráinn Hjálmarsson
Filmography: Sigurður Guðjónsson and Arnar Bergmann
Editing and Mixing: Sigurður Guðjónson and Þráinn Hjálmarsson
Duration: 5' looped video / installation
Other: Made in collaboration with Halldór Úlfarsson, visual artist
Click on the screenshot from the video above to watch the trailer - To gain access to the whole work for perusal use, please contact via e-mail.
Duration: 5' [looped video]
Information: Video installation. Looped video. Beamer, DVD player and headphones. Size variable.
About: Noise is projected into a corner and filtered through the lens of the viewer. The piece is made for an exhibition in Gallery Suðsuðvestur in 2011.
Exhibition: Gallerú Suðsuðvestur, Keflavík, Iceland - 2. - 4. september 2011.
Image from the installation in Gallery Suðsuðvestur
Duration: 3'
Information: Video performance
Performances: Premiered at Sláturtíð 2011 at Reykjavík Art Museum - Hafnarhús, by ensemble Skmendanikka.
Duration: 6'
Instrumentation: Open instrumentation, number of performers. Originally performed by Fred Frith, Frank Denyer, James Fulkerson, Áki Ásgeirsson, Guðmundur Steinn Gunnarsson, Hilmar Þórðarson and Charles Ross.
About: Written for the Eiðar Sonic Arts 2007 project, in Eiðar in the summer of 2007.
Duration: 8'
Instrumentation: 4 Thranophones (#1) and radios
About: I developed the Thranophone in 2007, which is an instrument that bases it's sound from resonances of objects. Further on Thranophones.
Performances: Premiered 5th of December 2007, Academy of the Arts, Reykjavík, Iceland. Performers: Alex McNeil, Áki Ásgeirsson, Magnús Jensson and Þráinn Hjálmarsson.
Duration: 13'
Instrumentation: 40 person poetry choir, 2 actors, Orchestra: 3.3.0.2-2.0.3.1 - 3 percussion, strings 8.0.6.6.3
About: Work by Magnús Pálsson written for the Tectonics Reykjavík 2015 - Music Festival, arrangement for the orchestra done by Þráinn Hjálmarsson and Áshildur Haraldsdóttir.
Performances: Premiered 17th of April 2015, by ISO, Living art museum poetry choir and Karlkór Alþýðu in Eldborg, Harpa concert house Reykjavík.
Duration: 43'
Instrumentation: 4 actors: Bergur Ingólfsson , Katla Margrét Þorgeirsdóttir, Sigurður Skúlason, Una Margrét Jónsdóttir.
About: Directing and re-arranging a piece by visual artist Magnús Pálsson. In collaboration with composer Atli Ingólfsson. Commissioned by Reykjavík Art festival 2013 for the live exhibition at Reykjavík Art Museum - The Sound of a Bugle in a Shoebox, May-August 2013.
Folk tale by Magnús Pálsson is based on an Italian folk tale retold by Italo Calvino. In this version arranged by composers Atli Ingólfsson and Þráinn Hjálmarsson, the work is approached from the vantage point of the music inherent in language, a recurring theme in Pálsson’s performances.
Performances: Re-arranged and performed for the retrospective exhibition of Magnús Pálsson's performance acts at Reykjavík Art Museum - Hafnarhús as a part of Reykjavík Arts Festival 2013.