Sæunn happens to be one of the most respected cellists in the world, performing with orchestras like the Los Angeles Philharmonic, BBC Symphony, and Iceland Symphony, and in venues like Carnegie Hall, Barbican, and Suntory Hall, to name just a few accolades. She’s basically one of the best out there, for those who find language like that easier to understand.
But what makes Sæunn stand out beyond her accolades are the challenges she throws at accepted narratives both in the classical music world and beyond.
Sæunn is the kind of kindred spirit I don’t have to circle around or soften edges for. There’s an immediate intellectual and emotional honesty and shared language that allows us to get straight to the heart of the matter without performance.
This was her first reappearance on Tapasya Loading since lockdown.
The last time we spoke, the world was paused. And both of us have stepped away from academia as full-time identities since, and re-examined calendars from a different lens as performing artists as well.
A central thread in this chat is our shared fascination, and frustration, with how many co-artists remain passively locked into inherited industry narratives.
So we talk candidly about how many of these myths get internalized, shape behaviour, and how difficult it can be to step outside them without feeling like we’re risking our worth.
We reflect on the assumption of being ‘busy’ being the same as being ‘good’, and the fear and freedom that comes when we’re no longer chasing multiple forms of what are essentially external sources of validation.
Explore coaching + courses for independent artists:
Work with me:
→ C.I.A.R. self-paced course:
https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/ciar
→ HMA group coaching & 1:1 mentorships
