There is an Icelandic saying, “mergur málsins”, which directly translates to “the marrow of the matter,” and these Suites, to me, speak directly to the essence of being human. As for many cellists, these Suites have been my steady companion throughout my life with the cello, first as a vehicle to learn counterpoint, style, and harmony, then as material with which to explore personal expression and interpretation, and today they are a mirror, reflecting the deeper truth of the human experience, revealing more layers of meaning each time I come back to them.

As far as we know, these Suites were not written for the church, and by 1720, they were not written for people to actually dance to, but rather as forms with familiar rhythms and style. In contrast to the Violin Sonatas and Partitas which were written around the same time, the Cello Suites each have the same movement structure, which includes a Prelude and two pairs of dances (Allemande and Courante, Sarabande and Gigue) with an added “wildcard” of pairs of Menuets, Gavottes, or Bourées. Rather than hindering expression, this structure seems to enable more creativity to flow, as Bach pushes the boundaries of the expressive and technical possibilities of the instrument with each succeeding Suite.

During the heart of the pandemic of 2020, I found comfort and refuge in these Suites. As I began to play them not just individually but as a set, an arch started to emerge, a true hero’s journey: starting with the innocent 1st Suite in G major, the first taste of bitter disappointment in the d minor 2nd Suite, a renewed optimism in the 3rd Suite in C major, the bold and brash 4th Suite in Eb Major, the dark tragedy of the 5th Suite in C minor, and finally the glorious redemption of the 6th Suite in D Major. My hope in presenting these Suites without repeats is to more clearly illuminate this arch of their presented order so that we may more closely follow this universal storyline.

Over the course of the season, Sæunn performed Daníel Bjarnason’s award winning work written for Sæunn, “Bow to String”, Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto #1, music for solo cello by J.S. Bach, as well as works for cello ensemble with the cellists of the Iceland Symphony.

The cello concerto written for Sæunn by Páll Ragnar Pálsson, “Quake”, was released on the Grammy-nominated album “Concurrence” on Nov 15th 2019 on the Sono Luminus Label. The work was co-commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, and Sæunn has subsequently performed it with the Seattle and Iceland Symphonies. Sæunn recorded the piece with Daníel Bjarnason and the Iceland Symphony last year in Harpa, the magnificent hall in the Reykjavík harbor. The Grammy-winning team at Sono Luminus recorded the work in high quality surround sound, with the orchestra sitting in a circle around the cello, positioning the listener in the middle of the music. Along with being nominated for a Grammy™, the album was singled out on NPR’s “10 Albums to Usher in the New Decade” and the New York Times’ “25 Best Classical Albums of 2019”.

A curated album of Icelandic music for solo cello, much of it written for Sæunn, Vernacular is her first album on the Sono Luminus label. Pieces by Þuríður Jónsdóttir, Halldór Smárason, Páll Ragnar Pálsson, and Hafliði Hallgrímsson showcase a unique soundworld in intimate monologues.

 As much as a painter and subject are both represented in a visual portrait, composers and performers often mix in fascinating ways in music. Sæunn curated a program that explores contemporary works for solo cello that she feels a close connection. From Jane Antonia Cornish’s aptly named “Portrait” from 2015 to a piece inspired by Sæunn’s grandfather’s poetry by Melia Watras, the program explores various multifaceted connections between performer and composer. 

Sæunn is passionate about helping others chart a path to their own successful life in music. She mentors a studio of young cellists at the Cincinnati College Conservatory in addition to teaching clinics and masterclasses around the world. In addition, Sæunn has created an online course, Cello Sound Alchemy, which helps cellists develop their best sound.

Anna Thorvaldsdóttir has written Sæunn a brilliant new cadenza for Haydn’s D major concerto. The world premiere was on September 26th with the Iceland Symphony and Karina Cannellakis conducting. The performance was live on Icelandic Public Broadcasting System’s Radio 1 and you can listen here to the archival recording:

For her debut album, Sæunn recorded the Three Suites for Solo Cello by Benjamin Britten on the Centaur Label. Inspired by the Bach Suites, Britten wrote these pieces for the great cellist Mstislav Rostropovich.

Sæunn discusses the first Britten Suite and plays a short excerpt.

An award-winning piece in three parts, Bow to String was written for Sæunn in 2009. The piece is originally scored for many cellos and Sæunn recorded all of the parts at Greenhouse Studios in Iceland and released on Daníel’s album “Processions” on the Bedroom Community label in 2010. Since then, Sæunn has performed Bow to String as a cello concerto with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Toronto Symphony and the Iceland Symphony among others.

An excerpt from a performance of Bow to String with the Iceland Symphony and Daníel Bjarnason conducting.