Brjansdottir, Bjorg/ Bara Gisladottir
Growl Power
GROWL POWER is the title of one of Bára Gísladóttir's compositions and also the title of the first solo album by flutist Björg Brjánsdóttir, where she performs the piece along with three other works by Bára. The works were recorded under the direction of Bergur órarson. All of the pieces were written especially for Björg in 2022, each a tribute to an instrument on its own, with or without electronics. GROWL POWER is also the name of a concert program where Björg performs all the pieces from the album. The pieces are performed in their entirety, without a break. The project began with a concert at Dark Music Days, where Björg performed the repertoire in the hall Norurljós at Harpa on the opening night of the festival. The concert received unanimous praise. Flutist Björg Brjánsdóttir works with various groups and ensembles across musical genres as well as composing her own music. She was nominated as Performer of the Year for the 2022 Icelandic Music Awards. Björg belongs to the flute septet viibra, which has worked with Björk Gumundsdóttir since 2016 and travels with her around the world to perform her musical show, Cornucopia. Bára Gísladóttir is a composer and double bass player based in Copenhagen. Her music has been performed by ensembles and soloists such as InterContemporain, Marco Fusi, Nordic Affect, Riot Ensemble, Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Staatsorchester Hannover, Frankfurt Radio Orchestra, and WDR Sinfonieorchester. Her works have been selected for festivals such as Darmstädter Ferienkurse, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, KLANG Festival, and Nordic Music Days. In 2024, Bára received the Ernst von Siemens Composers' Prize.