Víkingur Ólafsson in Conversation with Dave King
Mon, Jan 29, 5:30 pm (5 pm doors)
Berlin (venue preview)
204 N 1st Street, Minneapolis
Tickets: SOLD OUT
Join Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson, the “new superstar of classical piano” (The Daily Telegraph) for an intimate conversation with drummer, composer and Minneapolis treasure Dave King (“better than anyone at mixing the sensibilities of post-‘60s jazz and indie rock” —The New York Times) ahead of his Schubert Club recitals at the Ordway, presented in partnership with The Great Northern. Ólafsson, recognized as “Iceland’s Glenn Gould”, is a captivating communicator both onstage and off, and his incisive musicianship and visionary programs connect deeply with audiences. King will guide a wide ranging conversation on topics such as artistic motivation, Iceland, winter, Goldberg Variations, practice, and more.
About the Artists
Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson has made a profound impact with his remarkable combination of highest level musicianship and visionary programs. His recordings for Deutsche Grammophon—Philip Glass Piano Works (2017), Johann Sebastian Bach (2018), Debussy Rameau (2020), and Mozart & Contemporaries (2021)—captured the public and critical imagination and have led to career streams of more than 400 million. His latest album, From Afar, was released in October 2022.
Now one of the most sought-after artists of today, Ólafsson’s multiple awards include the Rolf Schock Prize for music (2022), Gramophone magazine Artist of the Year, Opus Klassik Solo Recording Instrumental (twice), and Album of the Year at the BBC Music Magazine Awards.
Ólafsson continues to perform as artist in residence at the world’s top orchestras, concert halls, and festivals, and work with today’s greatest composers. In the 2022/23 season he performed with orchestras including Philharmonia Orchestra, Concertgebouworkest, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Berliner Philharmoniker, The Cleveland Orchestra, London and Bergen philharmonic orchestras, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal.
A captivating communicator both on and off stage, Ólafsson’s significant talent extends to broadcast, having presented several of his own series for television and radio. He was Artist in Residence for three months on BBC Radio 4’s flagship arts program, Front Row—broadcasting live during lockdown from an empty Harpa concert hall in Reykjavík, he reached millions of listeners around the world.
Dave King is a drummer and composer originally from Minneapolis Minnesota. He is best known as a founding member of the internationally recognized jazz groups The Bad Plus and Happy Apple.
He has also recorded and/or toured with many other jazz luminaries including Bill Frisell, Joshua Redman, Julian Lage, Tim Berne, Craig Taborn and Jeff Beck to name a few. He has appeared on over 100 recordings including 7 records as a leader under his own name and played concerts on 6 continents in some of the most renown venues in the world including Carnegie Hall, The Village Vanguard, Disney Hall in Los Angeles, The Chicago Symphony Center, Opera National De Paris, The Vienna Opera House, Queen Elizabeth Hall in London and many more. He has been featured as the cover story and/or major features in many top publications for creative music including Downbeat and Jazz Times magazines, The New York Times, Modern Drummer Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, Esquire Magazine and the London Times to name a few. King was also the artist in residence for Winter Jazz Festival in NYC in 2016 and with The Bad Plus was the artist in residence at the Montreal Jazz Festival in 2017 and The London Jazz Festival in 2014. He has written music for and toured with the famed Mark Morris Dance Group and was an artist in residence for composition at Duke University in 2012.
King was a 2015 McKnight Composer fellowship recipient and was also honored with a two night retrospective of his composition oeuvre at the world renown Walker Art Center in 2010 resulting in a documentary film directed by Noah Hutton released to the international film festival circuit entitled “King for Two Days”.
King has also worked in the world of fashion writing and performing music for 3 consecutive New York Fashion Week shows for legendary designer Issac Mizrahi, and is currently an adjunct professor at The New School in NYC and has taught at Stanford University, New England Conservatory, Duke University and many more major institutions around the world.
About the Venue
Inspired by the experimental music culture of Berlin and centered around a high quality sound experience, this intimate venue and cocktail lounge will bring live music to North First Street when they will open their doors in February 2024.
Please note that photographs and video footage may be taken throughout this event. These will be used by The Great Northern and its partners for marketing and publicity, our archives, on our website and in social media.
