Skólahljómsveit Austurbæjar
Concert of the Reykjavik east school band - Iceland
Maestro: Sólveig Morávek
This year's varied programme of summer events in Istria will be certainly rounded by the Youth Wind Band from East Reykjavik - Skólahljómsveit Austurbæjar. The young musicians, conducted by Sólveig Morávek, will perform in Rovinj on 15 June. The Band, consisting of around 50 instrumentalists, aged from 13 to 18, will play a varied programme of classical, pop and jazz music. This year‘s special treat for the public, eager to see and listen to its concerts, will be a selection of Brazilian music, which the Band prepared especially for its tour in Croatia!
More about the Band ...
In 1954 the Reykjavik City Council founded a wind band for young boys and was opened for girls about ten years later. The band‘s first conductor was a well-known Icelandic composer, Karl Otto Runólfsson and he conducted the band until 1971. He was replaced by Stefán Stephensen, former horn player with the Icelandic Symphony Orchesta who led the band until 2004 when Vilborg Jónsdóttir, took his place. Besides conducting the band, Vilborg plays the Trombone and the Euphonium. She‘s worked as a freelance musician for 35 years, playing with various orchestras such as the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra, the Icelandic Opera Company and with the famous Icelandic pop star Bjork. In later years, she has focused more on teaching, conducting and being the headmaster of the band‘s music school. After being diagnosed with leukaemia this year, she‘s had to stop working and Sólveig Morávek has taken her place as conductor. Solveig is a music teacher and plays the Clarinet and the Saxophone as a freelance musician. Today, Skólahljómsveit Austurbæjar is one of four youth wind bands in Reykjavik. The music school associated with the band has 140 students and in addition there are about 20 pupils from other music schools playing with the band. The students are divided into three bands according to age and ability. The group visiting Croatia has the oldest students, about 50 instrumentalists aged 13 to 18 years. They play a varied programme of classical, pop and jazz music. This year they also did a project with Brazilian music. During springtime the band plays at various fairs in Reykjavik and goes marching through the streets of the Icelandic capital. The band plays three major concerts each year, has rehearsal weekends out of town and plays a range of different projects. Every other year the band goes on tour abroad, having visited Spain, Germany and Italy in recent years.
Admission free!
