On the opening day of Dark Music Days, Thursday, January 29th, the Iceland Symphony Orchestra will premiere the work Benthos by María Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir. To mark the occasion, we invited María to take over our Art Music playlist. She accepted and sent us this magnificent selection, which you can listen to below.

María Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir is among our most beloved composers. She has been a member of the string ensemble amiina since 1999; the band has released numerous albums and performed worldwide, including touring as the string section for Sigur Rós from 2000–2008.

Alongside her career with amiina, María Huld has composed music for symphony orchestras, choirs, dance, and film. Her works have been nominated for and won numerous awards, including a 2021 Grammy nomination for her piece Oceans on the album Concurrence.

María Huld’s playlist is the embodiment of the "darkest days" of winter. It consists of some of the best Icelandic contemporary music available, interspersed with small fragments of light in the form of pop gems that bring hope and offer insight into the diverse music that inspires the composer.

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