Iceland: Greta Salóme (Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins 2012) speaks to ESCDaily

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ESCDaily.com caught up with Icelandic songwriter and violinist Greta Salóme Stefánsdóttir, who has two songs in the upcoming Icelandic National Selection, Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins 2012. This is the very first time that Greta Salóme has written songs for the competition.

You can read the full interview below:

ESCDaily: Welcome Greta Salóme, first tell us when did you begin learning the violin and decide you´d like to be a musician?

Greta Salóme: I started playing the violin when I was four years old. My parents bought me a violin and ever since then my life has pretty much revolved around music. I think I was about 12 when I knew that this was what I wanted to do with my life. Music has always had such a huge impact on me and even at that age I knew that I would never be able to let that go.


Above (L-R): Jón Jósep Snæbjörnsson and Greta Salóme Stefánsdóttir.

ESCDaily: You are currently working with the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra. When did you start working with the Orchestra?

Greta Salóme: Well, I moved back to Iceland in 2008 after studying in The States for about a year and finished my Bachelors degree in violin performance at the Art Academy here in Iceland. Later that year I started working with The Iceland Symphony Orchestra. I worked there for a year and came back full time in January 2011.

ESCDaily: When did you start writing music?

Greta Salóme: I remember writing music when I was a teenager but never anything serious. As a classical violin student there was not much time for anything else than practicing. I always knew though that I wanted to do more in music than just play my instrument, even though the main focus was on that. I started doing some music writing when I studied music in Florida in 2007 and when I moved back to Iceland I did even more of it. I always thought I wasn´t any good at it though. In 2008 I entered a Christmas song-contest which was hosted by a radio station in Iceland. To my surprise I won the competition which inspired me to write more music.

ESCDaily: Do you have big dreams in the music world?

Greta Salóme: Of course! This may sound like a cliché, but if my songs and my music can inspire and touch just one person, then my dreams are fulfilled.

ESCDaily: Is this the first time you have entered songs to Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins?

Greta Salómé: Yes this is the first time. I think I´ve arranged and played strings on about 20 tracks that have entered this competition though.

ESCDaily: So, are you a Eurovision fan?

Greta Salóme: Guilty!


Above (L-R): Heiða Ólafsdóttir, Greta Salóme Stefánsdóttir and Guðrún Árný Karlsdóttir.

ESCDaily: What can you tell us about your two songs and who will perform with you?

Greta Salóme: The songs are very different. The first one is very dark, powerful and misterious and has a folk-song ring to it. It´s a duet and is performed by me and Jón Jósep Snæbjörnsson, who actually sung the Icelandic song in the Eurovision song contest in 2004. The song is inspired by an old, tragic love story. Even though the story is tragic there is hope in the song. All in all a very dark and powerful song….and there is possibly a violin solo in there somewhere.
The other song is much happier but still powerful. It´s a song about hope and getting through whatever life throws at you. It is performed by me and two amazing female singers; Guðrún Árný Karlsdóttir and Heiða Ólafsdóttir, who both have done this a few times before.

ESCDaily: What will you do if the Icelandic nation choses you to reprecent Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest in Baku?

Greta Salóme: I´ll cross that bridge if I come to it.

ESCDaily.com: Do you have any message for the ESCDaily readers?

Greta Salóme: Happy Eurovision season!

ESCDaily: Thank you Greta Salóme and good luck in the upcoming Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeVy-9IlSU8