VÍKINGUR ÓLAFSSON in autumn 2022 OPENS SOUTHBANK CENTRE’S CLASSICAL MUSIC SEASON WITH PHILHARMONIA & SANTTU-MATIAS ROUVALI (22 September)
- SOUTHBANK CENTRE ARTIST RESIDENCY continues with Edmund Finnis world premiere & Phillip Glass Etudes (24 September 5pm & 9:30pm); concert with Montreal Symphony Orchestra & Rafael Payare (28 October); recital with Matthias Goerne (9 December)
- NEW ALBUM FROM AFAR, OUT 7 OCTOBER (Deutsche Grammophon)
Celebrated for his innovative programming and award-winning recordings, Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson opens Southbank Centre’s classical music season as its artist in residence on 22 September, performing John Adams’ Must the Devil have all the Good Tunes with Philharmonia and Santtu-Matias Rouvali. Then on 24 September Ólafsson gives the world premiere of Mirror Images by Edmund Finnis (in two concerts that day), before performing with Montreal Symphony and Rafael Payare on 28 October and in recital with Mattias Goerne on 9 December. Ólafsson is the classical artist to perform the most at Southbank this autumn. He also opens the classical music season with Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw Orchestra, debuts with Berlin Philharmonic and New York Philharmonic, and further performs with orchestras including Cleveland, London Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, Czech Philharmonic, Bergen Philharmonic and Toronto Symphony Orchestra across the season.
Then on 7 October Ólafsson offers a window into his musical life story with the release of his new album, From Afar, (Deutsche Grammophon). The album reflects Ólafsson’s musical DNA, from childhood memories growing up in Iceland to his international career and contemporary inspirations. Recorded on both upright and grand pianos, the highly personal double album captures two distinct sound worlds with works by Bach, Mozart, Schumann, Brahms and Bartók, alongside Icelandic and Hungarian folk songs, a world premiere by Thomas Adès, transcriptions by Ólafsson himself, and interconnecting pieces composed by his hero, 96 year-old Hungarian composer and pianist György Kurtág. The album was inspired by Ólafsson’s life-changing meeting with Kurtág in Budapest in 2021.
The “new superstar of classical piano” (Daily Telegraph) has seen the Icelander achieve over 400 million career streams and top classical charts around the world, as well as win Gramophone Artist of the Year (2019), BBC Music Magazine Album of the Year (2019) for Johann Sebastian Bach and the Opus Klassik Solo Recording Instrumental award (twice). He has performed at many of the world’s major international venues including the Royal Albert Hall and Carnegie Hall.