Icelandic composer Ólafur Arnalds' upcoming performance at the Contemporary Arts Center is in support of his new album, For Now I Am Winter. The album features arrangements from Nico Muhly and vocals from Arnór Dan, and received press accolades from Rolling Stone, who called it "one of the year's finest new albums," with NPR adding it was "stunning, perfect music." Arnalds also scores the music for BBC's critically acclaimed #1 hit drama Broadchurch, which The New York Times reviewed, saying "What Broadchurch has to offer is mood: a tasty icing of gloom and foreboding that leans heavily on the music of Ólafur Arnalds." His music is featured on Masters of Sex this week, and was also recently on The Colbert Report, and So You Think You Can Dance, causing the album to return to the US iTunes Classical Chart, where it originally debuted at #1. Since 2009 he has scored films and TV shows including Another Happy Day, Gimme Shelter (Starring Vanessa Hudgens), as well as having tracks featured on the soundtracks to Hollywood hits The Hunger Games and Looper.
After stellar performances in NY with a 28-piece orchestra, at SXSW, and at Hollywood Forever in LA earlier this year, he'll be returning to the US for a string of shows with Berlin composer Nils Frahm, Peter Broderick, and Hauschka.
The video for new song “This Place was a Shelter” is the most tragic, romantic piece of work I have seen in quite some time. Worth a watch… or ten. Remember to breathe as I found myself holding my breath in anticipation each time I viewed.
Don’t miss the performance at the Contemporary Arts Center on Friday, October 4th!
