RAKEL, The Vernon Spring and Yana to play OPIA/Wise Music showcase at Iceland Airwaves

Founded by Icelandic composer and musician Ólafur Arnalds, OPIA has become a home for artists working where modern classical meets electronic and beyond and is partnered with music publishers Wise Music.

The event runs from 7.50pm on 6 November at IÐNÓ with sets from RAKEL (7.50pm), Yana (8.50pm) and The Vernon Spring (9.50pm).

Icelandic artist RAKEL (pictured above) has become a quietly singular presence in the Icelandic music landscape, performing with artists like Nanna (Of Monsters and Men), Axel Flóvent, and Kaktus Einarsson. Her debut album a place to be is released this week and was co-created with Danish producer and longtime collaborator Sara Flindt. It's shaped by the acoustics of real places: her family’s farm in Hrútafjörður, Sara’s Copenhagen dorm room, a friend’s studio in Aarhus.

The dedication and talent of London-born pianist, composer, and producer Sam Beste placed him in Amy Winehouse’s orbit, whom he accompanied as her live pianist for the majority of her ascendent career. Their pairing paved the way for other significant and diverse collaborations, including work with Gabriels, Kendrick Lamar producer Sounwave, Beth Orton, Kano, Joy Crookes, Matthew Herbert, and MF DOOM. After years of writing and releasing music with the alt-soul outfit Hejira during his mid-twenties, Beste helped form the Lima Limo collective and label, which offered a supportive community and inspiring creative foundation and by 2019, he began releasing solo music as The Vernon Spring, developing a voice that merged his jazz background with contemporary electronic production.

As Yana, instrumentalist and composer Joanna Bieńkowska – based in Gdańsk, Poland, creates music that combines classical instruments: piano, strings, and electronics. In April 2022 she self-released her debut album Solace which features minimalist piano solo pieces and meditative dialogues between the piano and strings alongside complex compositions based on electronics and the sound of analog synthesisers.