Concerts at the 18th Nordklang Choral Festival
The festival featured a series of choral performances across Reykjavík, with highlights at the iconic Harpa Concert Hall. Below is an overview of the concert programme that took place during the 2022 event.
Festival Concerts
Opening Concert in Harpa
The festival opened with a celebratory concert at Harpa, Reykjavík's landmark concert hall. The programme showcased Nordic choral repertoire performed by participating choirs.
Evening Concerts
A series of evening performances took place on Tuesday, featuring diverse choral works ranging from traditional Icelandic folk song arrangements to contemporary Nordic compositions.
Final Concert in Harpa
The festival concluded with a grand final concert on Sunday afternoon back at Harpa, bringing together participating ensembles for a closing celebration of Nordic choral music.
Venues
Harpa Concert Hall
Harpa, one of Reykjavík's most distinguished architectural landmarks, served as the primary venue for the festival's opening and closing concerts. Its world-class acoustics and striking glass façade provided an inspiring setting for choral performance.
Additional performances and workshop-related concerts were held at Reykjavik University and other venues across the city. For the full daily programme, see the conference schedule.
The concert programme of the Nordklang Choral Festival brings together choirs from across the Nordic region and beyond, offering audiences a rich tapestry of vocal music performed in some of Iceland's most inspiring venues. From the striking architecture of Harpa Concert Hall to intimate church settings in Reykjavík, each performance space contributes its own acoustic character to the choral experience. The festival's schedule is carefully curated to showcase both established works and contemporary Nordic compositions, allowing listeners to discover the breadth of choral tradition in the region. Evening concerts create a particular atmosphere, as the unique Icelandic light filters through windows and the music fills the hall.
Participating choirs at the festival represent a wide spectrum of vocal ensembles, from chamber groups to larger symphonic choirs, each bringing their own interpretive approach to the repertoire. Directors and singers alike benefit from the exchange of ideas that occurs naturally during such gatherings, where shared passion for choral music transcends language and cultural boundaries. The festival serves as a meeting point for choral directors attending the concurrent Nordic Choral Directors Conference, where professional development and artistic dialogue are central. This dual structure of performances and conference sessions creates a vibrant ecosystem where practical workshops and concert experiences complement one another throughout the event.
For attendees, the concert schedule offers multiple opportunities each day to experience live choral performance at its finest. The programme typically spans the late afternoon into the evening, allowing visitors to explore Reykjavík between performances and absorb the city's cultural atmosphere. Each concert is designed as a distinct journey through sound, with carefully selected pieces that highlight the unique qualities of each performing choir. The festival's commitment to Nordic choral music ensures that audiences encounter both familiar classics and lesser-known works that deserve wider recognition. This thoughtful programming makes every concert an invitation to listen deeply and discover something new.