In Focus: Anna Thorvaldsdottir – RNCM New Ensemble at RNCM

Johnny James, Managing Editor
Anna Thorvaldsdottir
Anna Maggy

In Focus: Anna Thorvaldsdottir - RNCM New Ensemble at Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), Manchester 6 May 2022 Tickets from £5.00 — Book now

The RNCM’s In Focus series celebrating the music of Icelandic composer Anna Thorvaldsdottir draws to a close with a concert by the RNCM New Ensemble on Friday 6 May. The ensemble will take to the stage to perform a wonderful array of Thorvaldsdottir’s music, which calls to mind the mighty natural forces of her native Iceland. A highlight of the programme is Spectra, a piece is in six short movements, performed in a seamless flow from one movement to the next. Its shivering, aching string lines cascade through undulating waves of tremolos, crescendos, glissandi, and percussive effects, laced with Icelandic melancholy and a hint of distant folksong.

Image by Roscoe Ruter.

 

Entropic Arrows follows suit, with the composer directing its performers to measure time by imagining long sustained pitches as “a fragile flower that you need to carry in your hands and walk the distance on a thin rope without dropping it or falling”. Aequilibria, meanwhile, was described by The Wall Street Journal as the “musical equivalent of magical realism”, beginning with a sense of melancholy desolation before morphing into something more otherworldly.

The concert, taking place at 1.15pm on 6 May, marks the end of a three-day celebration of Thorvaldsdottir’s ethereally beautiful music. Read about the full programme of events here.

In Focus: Anna Thorvaldsdottir - RNCM New Ensemble at Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), Manchester 6 May 2022 Tickets from £5.00 Book now

Male with beard and glasses sitting on chair with leather jacket
MusicManchester
Jonathan Biss (piano) at RNCM

Known for bridging Classical masterpieces with contemporary repertoire, Jonathan Biss performs Schubert sonatas and a specially commissioned piece by Tyshawn Sorey.

from £14.00
Singers on stage with blue lighting
MusicManchester
RNCM Gospel Choir at RNCM

Following last season’s sold-out performance, the RNCM Gospel Choir and director Wayne Ellington take to the stage again this spring.

from £11.00
A musician looking into the distance.
MusicManchester
RNCM Spring Season 2025

From classical masterpieces to cutting edge contemporary works, world-renowned soloists to homegrown talent, the RNCM spring season has it all.

from £8
Two dancers and orchestra on stage
Until
DanceManchester
Dance:Music at the RNCM

Through a treasure trove of concerts, the RNCM’s initiative Dance:Music explores the symbiotic relationship between music and dance.

from £0.00

Where to go near In Focus: Anna Thorvaldsdottir – RNCM New Ensemble at RNCM

Manchester
Restaurant
San Carlo Fumo

San Carlo Fumo may be part of a chain, but it doesn’t feel like it. Right at the top of Oxford Road, it’s lavishly decorated and specialises in cicchetti, or Italian small plates.

Utility Gift Shop
Manchester
Shop
Utility Gift Shop

Utility Gift Shop on Oxford Road is all about products that are new, unique, quirky and cool. High street shopping at its best.

exterior of Contact Theatre building
Manchester
Theatre
Contact Theatre

Following a major redevelopment, the iconic venue on Oxford Road will be reopening its doors to welcome the public back into the building this autumn. 

The Salutation pub in Manchester
Manchester
Bar or Pub
The Salutation

This traditional boozer, surrounded by imposing flats and university buildings, was taken over by Trof (of the Deaf Institute fame). The Sally, as the regulars call it, hosts an energetic, arty crowd – and its recently expanded outside area is another good reason to visit.

Manchester
University
MMU Student Union

Manchester Metropolitan University Students’ Union building houses a bar and various other facilities for students and staff.

What's on: Music

A black woman sat down looking to the left.
Until
MusicLeeds
Sound Out Leeds 2024/25

Leeds International Concert Season is on a mission to push boundaries, expand horizons, and ask the question: ‘What haven’t we heard?’ as it presents its city-spanning Sound Out Leeds series.

from £10.00
Two dancers and orchestra on stage
Until
DanceManchester
Dance:Music at the RNCM

Through a treasure trove of concerts, the RNCM’s initiative Dance:Music explores the symbiotic relationship between music and dance.

from £0.00

Culture Guides

NEXT: A Primer on Urban Painting production still
Cinema in the North

Street art, LGBTQ+ History Month, and the first film festivals of the year are amongst our cinema highlights this month.

Good Fridaze Family Social at Freight Island
Family things to do in the North

As we edge towards spring we take a look at the best events and activities for families, from theatre to festivals, dinosaur adventures to family raves.

A painting of a young child being bathed in a sink of a 197s style kitchen. Around the sink are a rubber duck, a bottle of  washing up liquid, a jug, a kettle and a mug.
Exhibitions in the North

Galleries are racing to announce new exhibitions so check out our top picks, from art films and nostalgic paintings to Hockney's collages.

Poet Evan Jones
Literature Events in the North

Some of our favourite leftfield live literature regulars are back with their first events of the year – we’ve picked a weird and wonderful heap we think you’ll love.

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

Feminist farce, a magical circus show and Oldham Coliseum return with a brand-new off-site show. All in our latest theatre guide.

FKA TWIGS
Music in the North

Masters of minimalism, leftfield electronica and cutting edge pop. We bring you the lot in our latest live music round up.