Gunnar Kvaran plays Bach’s cello suites

The renowned cellist Gunnar Kvaran holds a private concert at Laxness Museum - June 30th at 4pm. 

Cellist Gunnar Kvaran invites us to absorb the wonderland of Bach in the living room at the Laxness Museum. Between pieces, he will read from Laxness' essay on Bach's cello suites. The essay was published in 1965 in the book Upphaf Mannúðarstefnu, and Halldór wrote it specifically for Erling Blöndal Bengtsson's performance of all of Bach's cello suites on the National Radio that year. It so happens that Gunnar studied with Erling, this great cello genius, for many years.

Gunnar Kvaran is professor emeritus from the Iceland Academy of the Arts and has been at the forefront of Icelandic musicians for decades. During his illustrious career, he has appeared as a soloist at Carnegie Recital Hall, Beethoven Haus, Wigmore Hall, Mendelssohn Haus, and at the 125th anniversary concert of Pablo Casals in Catalonia. He has performed as a soloist with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra on many occasions, as well as with the Tivoli Orchestra in Copenhagen and the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra.

Gunnar was a member of Trio Reykjavíkur, which held many concerts, both abroad and at home, and was active for 30 years. His teaching career spans 60 years, both in Denmark and in Iceland, where he has graduated most of the country's best cellists. He has received many awards for his work in music and humanitarian affairs, including the Knight's Cross of the Icelandic Order of the Falcon. Gunnar's first book, Tjáning, was published in autumn 2021. It contains reflections on music, faith, and existence, as well as some poems.

The concert starts at 16:00 in the living room at the Laxness Museum. The entrance fee is ISK 3,500, and tickets are sold at the museum's reception before the concert. We advise visitors that there are ample parking spaces at Jónstótt.