Reviewing the world premiere, Boyd Tonkin of The Arts Desk described Archora as a "primeval sonic landscape" and declared it "well worth another visit."[3] Andrew Clements of The Guardian favorably compared the piece to the music of Jean Sibelius and described it as "another immensely impressive study in sonority" from the composer;[4] Clements later included the piece as one of the classical music highlights of 2022.[5] John Allison of The Daily Telegraph also praised the piece, writing:
Exploring the notion of primordial energy, ARCHORA (Thorvaldsdottir's titles frequently reflect a fondness for capital letters) opens slowly and with a low growl in the orchestra, building towards a dark mass of sound from which flecks of detail escape momentarily. Full of surprises yet satisfyingly logical, Thorvaldsdottir's brand of Nordic spectralism is summed up in this work scored for large orchestra including organ (but no trumpets), and in which melodic contours emerge as the piece lulls itself towards resolution.[6]
Archora was nominated for an Ivor Novello Award for Best Orchestral Composition at The Ivors Classical Awards 2023.[7]
