European Concert Hall Organisation (ECHO)
Concert halls play a vital role in society, creating cultural, economic, and social value. Harpa is proud to be a member of the European Concert Hall Organisation (ECHO), whose guiding principles include inclusion, sustainability, diversity, and support for young musicians.
About ECHO
The concert halls in ECHO may differ in their operations and artistic focus, but they are unified in their commitment to presenting high-quality performances to the most diverse audiences possible. Member venues support one another by sharing experiences and knowledge and initiating ambitious international joint projects. Strong emphasis is placed on connections with artists, audiences, and communities.
Rising stars
Soprano, composer, and visual artist Álfheiður Erla Guðmundsdóttir has been selected to participate in ECHO’s Rising Stars programme for the winter of 2025–2026.
For many years, ECHO has run the Rising Stars initiative, which selects outstanding musicians to perform in some of Europe’s finest concert halls. Harpa nominated Álfheiður as part of its programming strategy, and only six musicians were chosen to participate in the 2025–2026 cohort. It is, therefore, particularly gratifying and an honour that Álfheiður Erla is one of those allowed to be part of this important European musical platform.
In addition to Álfheiður, other Rising Stars from this group will perform concerts at Harpa in the coming seasons.
Rising Stars was founded in 1995 to support exceptional young musicians. Since its inception, 150 Rising Stars have been selected, and the programme has proven to be an immensely valuable springboard for their international musical careers. Among those who have benefited from participation in Rising Stars and who went on to become world-renowned artists are the cellist Kian Soltani, pianist Khatia Buniatishvili, and violinist Janine Jansen—all of whom have performed at Harpa with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra.
Álfheiður Erla Guðmundsdóttir
Soprano and visual artist Álfheiður Erla Guðmundsdóttir has received numerous accolades, including the Icelandic Music Award in 2021 as Vocalist of the Year in the classical and contemporary music category. She was also selected for the final 16 of the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition in the same year. She has held a permanent position at Theatre Basel in Switzerland since autumn 2021, performing several leading roles. Her album Poems was recently released by Deutsche Grammophon; it features works she performed and composed in collaboration with composer Viktori Orra Árnason, set to poems by various Icelandic poets. In 2022, Álfheiður curated and performed in the event Apparition, alongside pianist Kunal Lahiry in Harpa’s Eldborg hall, where music, dance, and visual art by Álfheiður were interwoven. This concert event was nominated as “Musical Event of the Year” at the Icelandic Music Awards in 2023.
ECHO, and by extension Harpa, has been awarded Shift Culture environmental certification. Arts and culture play a significant role in shaping communities and can contribute substantially to a better and more sustainable future. Arts and culture do not fall under a single United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), but rather contribute to all of them, including social inclusion, poverty alleviation, responsible environmental stewardship, and economic growth.
SHIFT Eco-Guidelines is a programme offering training for cultural leaders worldwide, encouraging collaboration and offering pathways to address global sustainability challenges. It promotes the implementation of change where needed and facilitates communication between leaders and staff in the arts and cultural sectors. Customised to cultural organisations with regard to their operations and environment, the SHIFT guidelines aim to cover all key aspects affecting the environment—such as governance, operations, policies, and management practices—to make them more sustainable.