Gudrún Ólafsdóttir, mezzo-soprano
The Icelandic mezzo-soprano Gudrún Ólafsdóttir began her vocal studies with Rut Magnússon in Iceland. She completed a Master of Music degree and the Opera Course at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London, studying with Professor Laura Sarti. She then furthered her studies with mezzo-soprano Alicia Nafé in Madrid.
Gudrún has won numerous prizes for her singing, including the Joaquín Rodrigo Prize in Madrid, the Lieder Prize in the Zamora International Singing Competition in Spain and the Kathleen Ferrier Song Prize at the Wigmore Hall in London. She has sung the title role in Montsalvatge’s opera El Gato con Botas for Teatro Real in Madrid. Other operatic roles include Cenerentola, Dorabella, Rosina, Romeo, Lazuli, Prince Orlowsky, Purcell’s Dido, Mozart’s Sesto, Carmen and Der Komponist.
Gudrún has a special affinity to art songs and has performed in concerts in the U.K., Iceland, Finland, Sweden, Luxembourg, the Faroe Islands, Malta, Italy, Bulgaria, Belgium, Holland, Russia, France, Argentina and Spain. She has offered world premières of new works by composers of different nationalities, who have composed their works especially for her. She has performed with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, the Bach Ensemble, Schola Camerata, Sonor Ensemble, Nordic Affect, Caput, La Orquesta de la Comunidad de Madrid, the St. Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra and the Philharmonia Orchestra in such halls as Bozar’s Henry le Boeuf Hall in Brussels, Auditorio Nacional de Música de Madrid, the St. Petersburg Philharmonia’s Glinka Hall and the Royal Festival Hall in London.
12 tónar has released two solo albums featuring Gudrún’s singing: Grieg-Schumann, with pianist Víkingur H. Ólafsson and Mine is Yours – Icelandic and Spanish Songs, with classical guitarist Francisco Javier Jáuregui. Other CDs inlclude Apocrypha by Hugi Gudmundsson (Classical CD of the Year, Icelandic Music Prize) and Iero Oniro – Holy Dream by Sir John Tavener (Editor’s Choice Gramophone Magazine).
