Ingibjörg Turchi

Bassist and composer Ingibjörg Turchi has been deeply involved in many areas of the Icelandic music scene. Her education ranges from jazz and contemporary classical composition to degrees in Ancient Greek and Latin. Ingibjörg has also been a highly sought-after session musician, performing with many of Iceland’s most beloved artists both in concert and on recordings.

Stropha (2023) is her second album, characterised by a soundscape built from multiple dense layers. The atmosphere is more varied and wilder than on her previous release, the outstanding Meliae (2020), as she pushes her artistry further and develops her fluid and strikingly melodic, almost trance-like bass playing – at times recalling the works of master bassist and composer Skúli Sverrisson. Ingibjörg blends modern jazz, improvisation, and melodic ornamentation into a finely balanced whole. There is experimentation, but never at the expense of structure or the overarching artistic vision. She also departs from the tightly controlled flow that characterised the previous album: while that work was more or less linear, Stropha leaps and dives in every direction, constantly surprising the listener and leading them into unexpected territory. A brilliant work by one of Iceland’s greatest talents.