Erna Vala is a classical pianist from Iceland.

Erna Vala is one of the leading performers of her generation in Iceland and maintains an active performance career. Most recently she performed as soloist in Rachmaninov’s First Piano Concerto with Ealing Symphony Orchestra in London, and Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major at the Iceland Symphony Orchestra’s TV concert: Our Classics, which was broadcast live on the national TV station RÚV.

Erna Vala is the founder and artistic director of the music festival Seigla (seiglafestival.is), held annually at Harpa Concert Hall and consists of a series of chamber recitals. Seigla is known for using space in creative and innovative ways. The festival strives to create experiences that are not only enjoyable, but also draw the audience's attention to the external and internal environment, its effects and significance, creating communal spaces and dialogues between audiences and performers. The festival is organised by the Icelandic Schumann Society, a cultural non-profit organisation that Erna Vala founded in 2020 and has served as president of its board since then. The association, and all its events, aim to create a healthy and active cultural environment in Iceland and support a positive working environment for artists in Iceland.

Erna Vala was awarded the White Rose, a Finnish medal of honor, by president Sauli Niinistö in 2018.

In the past season she performed solo recitals at concert series such as The Last Rose of Summer in Berlin, Ciclos de Lua Nova and Concertos Commentarios in Portugal, Tíbrá in Reykjavík, Menning á miðvikudögum and Beethoven 250+1 at Salurinn, and Velkomin heim at Harpa Concert Hall. She performed as a chamber pianist with Elja Ensemble at Ung Nordisk Musik Festival, Á Ljúfum Nótum at Fríkirkjan, Culture Night at Harpa, Sígildir Sunnudagar at Harpa and Seigla Festival at Harpa. She has also been invited as guest artist to festivals such as Við Djúpið in Ísafjörður, Fulbright Arctic Initiative in Washington D.C., Albignac Piano Festival in France and Trinity Laban Contemporary Art Festival in London.

Erna Vala has won numerous prizes. She won the Young Soloists Competition of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra in 2014 and the EPTA Piano Competition in Iceland in 2015. She was a quarter-finalist in the Bartók World Piano Competition.

Erna Vala holds a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance and a Junior Academy Diploma from the Iceland University of the Arts where she studied with Peter Máté. She completed a masters degree in piano performance at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki in 2019, studying with Hamsa Juris. She went on a one year Fulbright Fellowship in the D.M.A. programme at USC Thornton School of Music in Los Angeles where she studied with Bernadene Blaha in 2019.

She earned her second masters degree from the Iceland University of the Arts in music education in 2023. The main focus of her research was to gain understanding of how power relations within one-to-one tuition can have negative impact on students' learning and well-being. The study discussed the culture that dominates classical music education and how it has a formative effect on how power relations operate and affect behaviour patterns. During her masters degree she was president of the Student Union of the IUA and the Music Department of the IUA.

Erna Vala is currently based in London, conducting research at Royal Academy of Music towards a PhD Performance Research Degree under the supervision of Sarah Callis. Her current research is on performer-audience relationships and concert programming.

She also serves as adjunct faculty member at the Iceland University of the Arts and is Head of Instrumental Department and Church Music Department.

More on Erna Vala’s research here.

More on Seigla Festival here.