Wise Music signs deal with members of Sigur Rós on adaptations and new versions of the band’s songs | Publishing

Chester Music Limited, part of Wise Music Group, has entered into an agreement with the writers in Sigur Rós. 

The deal with the band members will see the music publisher work with them to create and publish arrangements, adaptations, new versions and editions of the Icelandic band’s songs, as well as new classical works. 

On behalf of the Sigur Rós band members, manager Dean O’Connor at Big Dipper Productions said: “We knew that Marcus [Wise], Dirk [Lange] and Gill [Graham] were fans of the band long before we first spoke about working together. This really helped our negotiations because the ambitious ideas being discussed have always seemed wholly authentic. It’s just much easier to work with people who already see the possibilities.” 

Universal Music Publishing Group remains the publisher for the existing compositions in the catalogue.

Sigur Rós member Kjartan Sveinsson has also signed a deal with Chester Music for his future classical works. The agreement includes his opera Der Klang der Offenbarung des Göttlichen (The Explosive Sonics of Divinity). Sveinsson collaborated with artist Ragnar Kjartansson on the work commissioned by and originally performed in Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg Platz, Berlin. 

“Sigur Rós are one of the rare, completely original bands of our time and there is enormous potential for what we can do with their music in partnership with our creative team. We will be attempting some groundbreaking work together to bring their music to entirely new markets”, said Marcus Wise, CEO of Wise Music Group. “We are also pleased to collaborate with Kjartan, building on the achievements of his opera Der Klang, and assisting him in his continued success in classical music.”

There is enormous potential for what we can do with their music in partnership with our creative team

Marcus Wise

Wise Music Group maintains a global network of standalone offices including London, New York, Los Angeles, Sydney, Copenhagen, Madrid, Paris, Milan, Berlin, Reykjavik, Bergamo and Tokyo. 

The group owns or controls over half a million copyrights – including the world’s largest independent holding of historic and contemporary classical music – as well as a huge range of popular songs spanning evergreen, jazz, reggae, blues, pop and rock. 

Wise Music also represents dozens of living composers and songwriters working in classical music, opera, ballet, pop, film, television and advertising. 

Represented composers include Ólafur Arnalds, Volker Bertelmann (Hauschka), John Corigliano, Bryce Dessner, Jonathan Dove, Ludovico Einaudi, Philip Glass, Missy Mazzoli, Nico Muhly, Michael Nyman, Portico Quartet, Jocelyn Pook, Rachel Portman, Hania Rani, The Zombies and many more.

PHOTO: Sigur Rós (credit: Tim Dunk)

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