Meet the members

Katherine Wren – Nordic Viola

Based in Stirling

Music

Nordic Viola will take you on an extraordinary journey in words and music to the Faroe Islands, Orkney and Shetland, Iceland and Greenland. The islands are bound together by a common seafaring heritage and share musical and cultural connections. In a programme shaped by travelling in the region, immersed in the culture of the Far North, viola player Katherine Wren shares contemporary reflections, traditional melodies and personal testimonies that are shaped by vast northern landscapes.

Nordic Viola was founded in 2016 by Katherine Wren. It is a flexible ensemble of string and woodwind players forming musical and cultural connections in the North Atlantic Region with an emphasis on contemporary music and its relationship with traditional forms.

Nordic Viola have performed in Dark Music Days (Iceland), Nordic Music Days (Glasgow) Sumartónar (Faroe Islands), soundfestival and Wayword (Aberdeen), St. Magnus International Festival (Orkney) as well as throughout Scotland.

Nordic Viola’s new project, John Rae and the Northern Telegraph Route, premiered in Orkney and Shetland in 2026. It traces John Rae's 1860 expedition to the North Atlantic and includes commissions from Stuart McRae (Scotland), Eli Tausen á Lava (Faroe Islands), Ailie Robertson (Scotland) and Arnannguaq Gerstrøm (Greenland) with new poetry by Lesley Harrison.

Contact details

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