Copyright information:© Antje Taiga Jandrig
The Holland Festival and Felix Meritis present a programme centred on the work of Hildur Guðnadóttir, associate artist of Holland Festival 2025. Starting from her artistic influences and her own body of work, the conversation explores her refusal to be confined by categories, the transformative power of composing, and the far-reaching nature of her collaborations.
Her music – often intense, poetic and unpolished – moves effortlessly from intimate and vulnerable to overwhelming and immersive. This range is also reflected in four different productions at the festival: her latest work Where To From; a full-length concert at The Concertgebouw with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra; a free-of-charge performance in the Westerpark featuring a new composition written especially for the occasion; and the music of Chernobyl at Gashouder.
'Music moves us. It can transform the space we’re in; can transform the mood we’re in. It can transform who we are.'
– Hildur Guðnadóttir
Associate artist Hildur Gudnadottir
Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir (Reykjavik, 1982) is one of the most influential and versatile composers of her generation. She plays the cello, sings and has built an impressive solo repertoire where experimental pop and contemporary music meet. A wide audience may know her music from films such as Joker, for which she won an Academy Award, TAR or the HBO drama series Chernobyl.
As the associate artist of the Holland Festival 2026, Hildur Guðnadóttir’s ideas centre around listening, transformation and empathy. Listening helps us pay closer attention and remain open to others. She sees music as a force that can reshape our experience of space and time, and as a means of reconnecting in a world where empathy is in decline. These ideas form the backbone of her role within the festival, guide the programming team’s thematic choices, and are reflected throughout the work of other artists in the programme.
Since 2019, the Holland Festival has worked annually with an associate artist: an international artist with a broad outlook and an innovative and interdisciplinary artistic practice, who commits to one edition of the festival. The associate artist commits to one edition of the festival and functions as a source of inspiration, a discussion partner for the programming team and shows part of their oeuvre, alongside work that is co-produced by the Holland Festival.
