“For three nights in mid-April, the ethereal Icelandic band Sigur Rós will headline … the Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall,” writes Yoshi Kato in Tuesday’s (4/11) Christian Science Monitor. “The trio is part of the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Reykjavík Festival of contemporary music, a lineup that also includes composer/film scorer Jóhann Jóhannsson (‘Arrival’) and an exhibit featuring music by Björk as well as a performance by the artist…. The festival runs intermittently April 7-June 4, and Sigur Rós reflects both the breadth and the depth of the programming aesthetic…. Johanna Rees, L.A. Philharmonic’s director of presentations, wrote in an e-mail interview, … ‘With this festival we are examining the sounds and moods as related to the geography and community of Iceland. This band truly transports the listener to the country.’ … Other musicians in alternative rock bands have also been crossing over into classical settings. Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead worked with the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the London Contemporary Orchestra; The National’s Bryce Dessner’s work has been commissioned by the Paris-based chamber music ensemble Ensemble Intercontemporain, among other collaborations; and Arcade Fire’s Richard Reed Parry’s work has been commissioned by the San Francisco string ensemble Kronos Quartet.”
Posted April 12, 2017
