Iceland calls itself “The Land of Fire and Ice.” It’s an apt description. Although Iceland’s landscapes can be barren and austere, they’re also percolating with innumerable geothermal sites that continuously spew plumes of steam into the frosty air. And don’t forget the volcanos with their glowing lava flows. Known for its natural beauty, Iceland is not as well known for its classical musicians. That is until now. Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson has captivated the classical world with his cerebral and sensitive performances. Ólafsson’s burgeoning Deutsche Grammophon discography ranges from the cool minimalism of Philip Glass to the intricacies of Bach and the Gallic elegance of Debussy and Rameau. His exquisitely chosen repertoire is evidence of a highly selective and creative artist. 

Víkingur Ólafsson’s Musical Education in Iceland and New York

Ólafsson, whose parents are both musicians, grew up in Reykjavík. His father is also an architect and a composer. He says that his musical roots go back even before he was born.

“When my mother was pregnant with me, she was finishing her studies and doing a solo recital as part of her graduation project, so I was close to the keys from the beginning in the womb.”

Ólafsson says that “the piano played a central role from the beginning.” He shared a touching story about his parents that demonstrates the family’s priorities.

“We had this great grand piano in our very small apartment,” Ólafsson said. “It was the first thing my parents bought. They had a little bit of money after my father’s father died, and they took a loan to add to it to buy a Steinway and Sons grand piano from Hamburg. We had a tiny basement flat and I was sharing a room with my two sisters, but we had this incredible grand piano, which was like a portal to a better place.”

Ólafsson’s special musical gifts soon became apparent. He studied in Iceland until he was 18, but needed to make a decision about where to continue his musical training. He says he “really craved to go to a big city and a big school and to just be in an environment with many more people who were as ambitious about music as I was.” So he chose Juilliard in New York City, where he studied under Jerome Lowenthal and Robert McDonald.

Ólafsson spent six years at Juilliard in both undergraduate and graduate studies. He says that during those six years in New York, he went to classical performances whenever he could. 

“I went to the New York Philharmonic, Carnegie Hall, Metropolitan Opera,” Ólafsson said. “I went to concerts two or three times every week. I saw so many things.”

Ólafsson says he attended many memorable concerts by artists he calls his “heroes.”  

“I remember when I first saw Martha Argerich play the piano,” Ólafsson said. “She was playing and Rostropovich was conducting. That was a concert I’ll never forget. I remember when I saw Gidon Kremer play with the Vienna Philharmonic. I saw Valery Gergiev conducting at Carnegie Hall, Pierre Boulez conducting new music. You name it. Yevgeny Kissin, Arcadi Volodos, Mitsuko Uchida playing Mozart. She is a great inspiration for me.”

Víkingur Ólafsson’s Two Constants

In 2016, Ólafsson signed a contract with the Deutsche Grammophon record label. His first album was devoted to the music of American minimalist Philip Glass. It was a debut that made people take notice, not only for the off-beat repertoire but also for the mesmerizing performance.

His second CD, Johann Sebastian Bach, features solo keyboard music by the composer. The album was critically acclaimed and won a slew of awards including BBC Music Magazine’s Recording of the Year.

Although Ólafsson has incredibly wide and eclectic tastes, there are two composers to whom he always returns: Bach and Mozart.

“Those are two constants, two composers who I keep always with me,” Ólafsson said. “Those guys, I can’t get enough of their music. I can’t say that about any other composers. As much as I love Chopin, Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert, Schumann, I can’t play their music six hours a day every day without just having enough. Mozart and Bach give me the freedom to stay in it forever and ever and always find new things. Their music always seems reborn. And that is wonderful.”

Víkingur Ólafsson’s Newest Album, Mozart and His Contemporaries

Ólafsson calls his latest album “a mosaic portrait of Mozart.” Mozart and His Contemporaries is a thoughtfully chosen program of later Mozart as well as selections by composers like Cimarosa and Galuppi, whose piano music is rarely, if ever, heard. Ólafsson says he wanted to show the incredible artistic ferment that was going on during Mozart’s final years.

“It’s an exploration of Mozart’s last ten years when he really becomes Mozart,” Ólafsson said. “If Mozart had died ten years earlier, he wouldn’t exactly be the Mozart that we know today. There wouldn’t be the great operas, the great piano concertos, the great chamber music, the late symphonies. What really makes Mozart Mozart.”

Ólafsson says that in Mozart’s final years his music became more expressive and experimental, as well as introspective and dark. According to Ólafsson, Mozart’s spirit was in the 19th century.

“He was a free artist, the artist as his own master rather than the servant to the aristocracy,” Ólafsson said. “The aristocracy was crumbling anyway with the French revolution of 1789. I just wish Mozart had lived a little bit longer because it would have been so incredible to have him in dialogue with Beethoven.”

The music by Cimarosa, Galuppi, C.P.E. Bach and Haydn is beautiful. Ólafsson says that he wanted to give a taste of some of the music that was in the air when Mozart was composing his own music.

“He was very much aware of the music that was being written around him and sometimes he performed the works of others,” Ólafsson said. “He was an alive musician in his day. So I wanted to show that side of him and that period in music history.”

Víkingur Ólafsson Loves Surprises

Ólafsson says that as soon as he finishes one recording project, he’s starting another one. When asked what his next project was, he demurred. He says he likes the element of surprise.

“I love that my listeners don’t know what I'm going to do next,” Ólafsson said. “I did Philip Glass first and it went rather well and there are huge calls for me to do another Philip Glass and just stay with American music and do John Adams and Steve Reich and whatever. But then I did Bach, and that was very important for me. That did better than the Glass, and then [there] were calls for me to do another Bach, and I did Debussy and Rameau and after that I did Mozart. But I love that. I like being ahead of the game and not let the industry define me, but rather tell the industry who I am and who I want to become.”

Iceland is known for its independent streak and so is Ólafsson. He says that he has been profoundly shaped by Iceland’s “Ice and Fire.”

“Iceland is such a specific country,” Ólafsson said. “It’s this island full of volcanoes and glaciers and a beautiful instability. It’s where the tectonic plates of Europe and America meet. So it has to affect us, but how hard is to say. When you come here, you see the kind of beautiful space and nature. If that is a part of your life and upbringing, it has to go somewhere deep into your DNA.”

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