Her music seems to intently listen to and perfectly reflect the Icelandic landscape. Hildur Gudnadóttir is a cellist, composer and performer who expresses herself in the genre of experimental pop and contemporary music - she was a member of the 'múm' group and 'Pan Sonic'. In her solo work she draws from a wide range of sounds made by her musical instrument, moving with ease from mystical simplicity to endless audioscapes. Her compositions move a broadly varying audience – whether they are orchestral music or electronica fans.
Gudnadóttir started playing the cello as a child and passionately continued her musical studies at the Reykjavik Music Academy and then in Berlin. At 34 years old her velvety use of her cello and her voice takes simple phrases on a journey to heavenly heights that hypnotise audiences, turning them into participants in a musical rite that demands their full surrender to her otherworldly sounds and experimentations.
She has recorded four solo albums, 'Mount A' (2006), 'Without Sinking' (2009), ' Leyfðu Ljósinu' (2012) and 'Saman' 2014, while she also composes for theatre, dance performances and film. Among other things she has been commissioned to compose original works for the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, the National Theatre of Iceland, Tate Modern, the British Film Institute and the Royal Swedish Opera. She has performed music for films such as 'The Revenant' with Leonardo DiCaprio and 'Sicario', and she has collaborated with Skúli Sverrisson, Jóhann Jóhannsson, múm, Angel, Pan Sonic, Hauschka, Wildbirds & Peacedrums, Ryuichi Sakamoto, David Sylvian, The Knife, Fever Ray and Throbbing Gristle.
Her partner... Ómar, a six string cello variant reminiscent of a modernised viola da gamba that offers her a broad range of sounds, from that of a violin to that of a bass, never leaves her side on this exciting musical journey. It is a “thin” instrument, which means that she can attach it to her body and move with it on stage. In comparison to other musical instruments, it is so small and versatile that it does not require its own seat on airplanes, and can fit in her suitcase, she mentioned jokingly.
