Víkingur Ólafsson in Concert

Possessing a rare combination of passionate musicality, explosive virtuosity, and intellectual curiosity, pianist Víkingur Ólafsson has been heralded “Iceland’s Glenn Gould” by the New York Times (Anthony Tommasini, August 2017). Before lighting up the international scene in 2016, Víkingur won all the major prizes in his native country, including the Order of the Falcon, four Musician of the Year prizes at the Icelandic Music Awards, and the Icelandic Optimism Prize. About the program: Víkingur’s program creates a fascinating juxtaposition of miniatures from two ends of the musical spectrum in time. Bach’s works are some of the oldest masterworks composed for the keyboard while Glass’s works are some of the newest. We will also experience several composers’ impressions of Bach’s music through their transcriptions (including the soloist!). This program is not only for the Master Pianist Series devotee but is also a wonderful introduction to classical piano music, both old and new.