First ever edition of Freyjujazz festival triumphed at Harpa in January

The first edition of Freyjufest took place this January at Harpa in downtown Reykjavik. The festival featured six acts that are all making waves on the international jazz scene. From explosive veterans of the Avant Garde scene such as Myra Melford and Angelika Niescier, to major new talents in Nordic jazz such as Anna Gréta and Ingibjörg Turchi. They even threw into the mix a trumpetist/goat horn player from the Norwegian fjords and an arranger from the Swiss Alps.

The festival was organised and ran by Icelandic international piano star Sunna Gunnlaugs who for many years has been raising the profile of Icelandic jazz. Sunna is committed to creating more opportunities for women in jazz. She wants to encourage and bring more female players to perform in Iceland which in turn would encourage Icelandic female players to get tuned in to jazz. She did exactly that by requiring that every act have at least one female member.

Sunna Gunnlaugs got glowing reviews from Jazzwise:

"In her aim to promote gender equality at her festival Gunnlaugs triumphed. This was an excellent day of music all round – well planned and brilliantly executed. The music played was full of excitement, joy and surprises and I'm sure that the Norse goddess Freya would thoroughly approve."

Listen to Ingibjörg Turchi, Anna Gréta, Sunna Gunnlaugs and the best of Icelandic Jazz on our “Iceland Music - Jazz” playlist :-)