Spontaneous, instrumental improvisations
inspired by Icelandic landscape.
Who we are
We are a group of 4 professional, classical musicians from Iceland, Switzerland, Latvia and the United States. Our enjoyment of free improvisation is what brought us together, and as an ensemble we create contemplative, sacred experiences.
Our name "Estelliah" consists of 3 words. We combined the words "Quelle" and "lähde" (German and Finnish for "source") with the words "crystal" and "stillness" to make a nice-sounding name that rolls off the tongue.
MUSICAL APPROACH
We create spontaneous, instrumental improvisations.
We believe that in each improvisational moment there is something rare to be captured.
Without clarifying or preparing anything in advance, we simply rest in intentional silence and only begin playing when we “hear” in our hearts what needs to be played.
The process is a continuous flow of listening, creating, and interacting with one another.
ICELAND RECORDINGS
In October of 2016, we had the opportunity to spend time in Iceland’s breathtaking Thingvellir National Park. The idea was to be inspired by the vast landscape and significant history. (The oldest parliament in the world was founded in Thingvellir in 930 AD). We got to stay in a beautiful little cabin by the Thingvellir lake and record in the historic church in the heart of Thingvellir National Park.
Thingvellir is geographically located exactly where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet. These plates diverge at a rate of 1 to 2 centimeters each year, causing the earth to continually open up and change.
Just as new life is constantly being birthed in Thingvellir, our improvisations are like new musical “creations” which emerged from that unique place.
SOUND BLESSINGS
A Sound Blessing is an intentional improvisation for a specific person. We take time to listen for sounds & melodies that we feel are meant to be played in that moment for that particular person.
Gallerie
