Winner of the 2025 Nordic Council Music Prize
Rationale
Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson has captured the imagination of public and critics alike with his profound musicianship. His ascent has been steady, with praise growing with each passing year. Today, he enjoys world fame as one of the most acclaimed practising pianists, known for his innovative interpretations, captivating performances, and ability to connect classical music with a broader audience.
Notable honours include the Order of the Falcon (Iceland’s order of chivalry), the Icelandic Export Award (announced by the President of Iceland), the Icelandic Music Award, the Rolf Schock Prize, and accolades from BBC Music Magazine and Opus Klassik, among others. Critics from respected outlets such as The New York Times and Le Monde have extolled him and Gramophone declared him a “breathtakingly brilliant pianist”.
His recordings for Deutsche Grammophon have been streamed almost one billion times and earnt him a string of awards and honours. Notable albums include Philip Glass: Piano Works (2017), Johann Sebastian Bach (2018), and J.S. Bach: Goldberg Variations (2023), the latter earning him a Grammy Award. Ólafsson’s focused repertoire weaves a unique fabric yet with a coherent thread through seemingly disparate eras to showcase his broad artistic vision.
Ólafsson has performed in many of the world’s most renowned concert halls and with leading orchestras across Europe and America, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, and Berlin Philharmonic. His performances are described as powerful and poetic, captivating audiences with energy and charisma. During the 2023/24 season, he devoted himself to touring the Goldberg Variations globally, earning high praise from critics and audiences alike.
Ólafsson is a passionate advocate of classical music and determinedly explores new ways to present it to everyone who wants to listen, using modern platforms to reach wider audiences and emphasise the significance of the classical world.