Víkingur Ólafsson

Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson is one of the most sought-after artists of our time. He captivates both audiences and critics with his profound musicality and groundbreaking programs. His recordings have garnered over a billion streams to date and have received numerous accolades, including a GRAMMY® for Best Classical Instrumental Solo 2025 for his interpretation of Bach's Goldberg Variations, Album of the Year from BBC Music Magazine, and three OPUS KLASSIK awards. Ólafsson has also been honored with the prestigious Rolf Schock Prize, Gramophone's Artist of the Year, Musical America's Instrumentalist of the Year, his country's Order of the Falcon, and the Icelandic Export Award, presented by his nation's head of state. In the 2023/24 season, Ólafsson made waves with a remarkable undertaking, dedicating the entire season to a single work: J. S. Bach's Goldberg Variations, which he performed 90 times worldwide to critical acclaim. Last season, he was Artist in Residence with the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as a focus artist at the Musikverein Wien. He toured Europe with the Cleveland Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, performed with the Berlin Philharmonic at the BBC Proms, and once again took the stage with the New York Philharmonic. Together with Yuja Wang, he completed a tour in Europe and North America, with the star-studded duo performing works for two pianos and four hands. In January 2025, he gave the world premiere of John Adams’ After the Fall, a piano concerto written especially for him, with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. In the 2025/26 season, Ólafsson will present his new recital program featuring Beethoven's Sonata No. 30 Op. 109, as well as works by Bach, Beethoven, and Schubert in Europe and North America. His recording of this repertoire will be released on November 21, 2025. As a Featured Artist of the Philharmonia Orchestra, he will interpret Beethoven's Third Piano Concerto, present the UK premiere of After the Fall, and pay tribute to György Kurtág on his 100th birthday. He will also perform Beethoven's Fifth Piano Concerto with the orchestra at Carnegie Hall as part of the orchestra's 80th-anniversary celebrations. Further highlights include the Swedish premiere of After the Fall and performances of this work and Adams’ Second Piano Concerto Must the Devil Have All the Good Tunes? in the USA. 9/2025