Nordic Festival, November 1 2014 – Leif Norman photographer

The WSO’s week-long Nordic Festival is dedicated to celebrating the music of Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Norway and Sweden and features two of Iceland’s leading musicians: violinist Sigrun Edvaldsdottir and pianist Vikingur Olafsson. Composers highlighted include Sibelius, Kjartan Sveinsson, Kenley Kristofferson, Grieg, Nielsen and much more.

Vikingur Plays Grieg: Nordic Festival Finale

October 31, 2014 8:00 PM
Centennial Concert Hall
555 Main St
Winnipeg, MB

Kenley Kristofferson: Morgun
Grieg: Piano Concerto in A minor
Nielsen: Symphony No. 4 “The Inextinguishable”

Alexander Mickelthwate – conductor
Vikingur Olafsson – piano

The opening notes of Grieg’s Piano Concerto introduce a romantic musical journey that has placed this work among the most beloved of all. Exciting young Icelander Vikingur Olafsson will reveal its treasures as we close our week-long Nordic Festival. Danish composer Carl Nielsen’s Fourth Symphony is a triumph for timpani, and an incredibly exciting orchestral display. Manitoba composer Kenley Kristofferson’s Morgun honours the 125th anniversary of Manitoba’s Icelandic community in Gimli.

From http://www.wso.ca

Alexander Mickelthwate, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra Music Director

“Iceland’s rising star of a pianist” (Sunday Times), Víkingur Ólafsson has been described as “born to play piano” (New York Sun) and praised as for his “perfect continuity of thought” (Giornale della musica).

from http://vikingurolafsson.com