Víkingur Ólafsson

Víkingur Ólafsson is one of the most celebrated classical artists of our time, a unique and visionary musician who brings his profound originality to some of the greatest works in music history. His recordings resonate deeply with audiences around the world, reaching more than one billion streams and winning numerous awards including the 2025 Grammy for Best Classical Instrumental Solo for his album of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, BBC Music Magazine’s Album of the Year, and Opus Klassik’s Solo Recording of the Year (twice). Other notable honors include the Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal, the Rolf Schock Music Prize, Gramophone​’s Artist of the Year, Musical America’s Instrumentalist of the Year, the Nordic Council Music Prize, the Order of the Falcon (Iceland’s order of chivalry), and the Icelandic Export Award, given by the President of Iceland.

November 2025 saw Ólafsson present his latest album, Opus 109, which places Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 30, Op. 109, at its center. In an illuminating and thrilling musical dialogue with Schubert, Bach, and other works by Beethoven, the recording traces the lineages that converge on this masterpiece of the piano literature. He tours the new program widely this season, bringing it to the greatest concert halls across Europe and North America.

Ólafsson’s current season opened with a tour of the US as Featured Artist with Santtu-Matias Rouvali and Philharmonia Orchestra (appearing here at Zellerbach Hall last October) and also includes a return to the Berlin Philharmonic with Semyon Bychkov and the Czech Philharmonic with Sir Antonio Pappano. He reunites with John Adams and the Los Angeles Philharmonic for performances of After the Fall, the piano concerto written expressly for him. Ólafsson will mark the Kurtag centenary celebrations in 2026. He is the current Artist in Residence both here at Cal Performances and at MUPA, Budapest.