In the midst of a whirlwind global tour, celebrated pianist, Víkingur Ólafsson, visited NPR’s renowned Tiny Desk for a captivating show. Released on World Piano Day, the performance showcases his extraordinary talent in works by Bach, Bartók and Kaldalóns.
This past fall Ólafsson released his critically well received album of J.S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations (listen here) and dedicated his 2023-24 season to an 88-date Goldberg Variations world tour, performing the work across six continents throughout the year.
In just a few short years, Ólafsson has become one of the most sought-after artists of today, performing internationally at the highest level. His multiple awards include Opus Klassik Instrumentalist of the Year (2023), Opus Klassik Solo Recording Instrumental (twice), CoScan’s International Nordic Person of the Year (2023), the Rolf Schock Prize for Music (2022), Gramophone magazine’s Artist of the Year (2019) and Album of the Year at the BBC Music Magazine Awards (2019).
His recordings for Deutsche Grammophon – Philip Glass Piano Works (2017), Johann Sebastian Bach (2018), Debussy – Rameau (2020), Mozart & Contemporaries (2021), From Afar (2022) and most recently Goldberg Variations (2023) – captured the public and critical imagination and have led to career streams of over 750 million.
SET LIST
S. Bach: Goldberg Variations – Aria, Variation No. 1
Jean-Philipe Rameau (arr. Ólafsson): “The Arts and the Hours”
Béla Bartók: Three Hungarian Folksongs from Csík
Sigvaldi Kaldalóns (arr. Ólafsson): “Ave Maria”