This year’s edition of the Ísafjörður-based Við Djúpið Music Festival sees the return of composer Ellis Ludwig-Leone. Building off his long standing relationship with the festival, the American artist ventures north again to perform his latest composition False We Hope . In 2012, Yale graduate Ellis Ludwig-Leone visited Iceland for the first time to attend the classical music festival Við Djúpið.
There, in Iceland’s rugged Westfjords, the classically trained musician took part in the New Composers’ Project, initiated by conductor Daníel Bjarnason, and met future creative collaborator Halldór Smárason. “Halldór and I have a long history of collaboration,” says Ellis. “When we met each other, we recognised that we are similar in many ways.
” Haukur Sigurðsson. Við Djúpið. Ísafjörður in June 2023.
The link to Iceland was made through fellow American composer Nico Muhly, a member of the Bedroom Community label. “At that time, I was working as an assistant for Nico,” Ellis recalls. “One of the reasons I went to Við Djúpið the first time was that Nico’s record label was based there.
He talked so glowingly of Iceland.” Similarly to Nico, who easily navigates between the contemporary classical and popular music galaxies, Ellis finds multiple realms equally fascinating. Solo career aside, the composer founded the chamber pop band San Fermin in 2011.
Coming from an artistic family, Ellis’ all-embracing open-mindedness seems to.
