PIANIST VÍKINGUR ÓLAFSSON MAKES HIS PRINCETON UNIVERSITY CONCERTS DEBUT:
On Sunday, November 20 at 3:00 PM, Icelandic sensation Víkingur Ólafsson brings a program framing Mozart within the context of his contemporaries.
Princeton University Professor and Mozart expert Dr. Scott Burnham will deliver a pre-concert talk free to all ticketholders at 2:00 PM.
PRINCETON, NJ — In one of the most highly-anticipated debuts in Princeton University Concerts’ (PUC) history, Víkingur Ólafsson brings his trademark ability to breathe new life into classical convention to Richardson Auditorium, Alexander Hall on Sunday, November 20, 2022 at 3:00 PM. His program, “Mozart & Contemporaries,” invites audiences to rediscover Mozart by setting his work within the framework of his contemporaries. The recent Deutsche Grammophon recording of this program has topped international charts, been streamed over two hundred million times, and won several prestigious awards.
“This is an artist that I have been very eager to bring to Princeton for a while,” says PUC Director Marna Seltzer. “I had the opportunity to hear this very same program live at Carnegie Hall last year and I was completely spellbound. Víkingur has such a refreshing and sincere voice; he cares deeply about his listeners and their experience of his programs, and I cannot wait for our audience to experience his magic in the first of what I hope will be several visits to Princeton.”
Full-priced tickets are sold out. Turned-back and obstructed view seats may be available. Please call 609-258-2800 for more information.
Ticketholders are invited to attend a 2:00 PM pre-concert lecture by Princeton University Emeritus Professor Scott Burnham free of charge. Prof. Burnham, who has been a local celebrity since coming to the University in 1989, is beloved as a superlative teacher of both undergraduate and graduate students, a kind mentor, a generous colleague across campus, and a formidable but warm presence in the broader disciplines of music history and theory. Notable awards have supported his broad-ranging research, including fellowships from the National Humanities Center and Guggenheim Foundation. In 2013, his monograph, Mozart’s Grace (Princeton University Press), won the Otto Kinkeldey Award from the American Musicological Society for a musicological book of exceptional merit. Prof. Burnham’s own grace on stage has made him a sought-after speaker, and he has delivered hundreds of pre-concert talks, hosted dozens of radio programs, and given scores of public lectures and keynote addresses on campus, around the country, and abroad.
“The way Ólafsson contextualizes Mozart within his time is so in line with PUC’s values—with our own mission to frame live music within the context of the present day,” explains PUC Director Marna Seltzer. “Ólafsson has said that he wants to allow audiences to ‘see all music as contemporary music.’ To that, we here at PUC say, ‘Yes!’ Scott Burnham will undoubtedly bring remarkable aspects of Mozart’s music and Ólasson’s unique approach to the composer to an even more brilliant light. Great minds, great musician, great music…It’s going to be a thrilling Sunday afternoon in Richardson Auditorium!”
ABOUT THE MUSICIAN
Pianist Víkingur Ólafsson has made a profound impact with his remarkable combination of musicianship of the highest level with his visionary programs. His recordings for Deutsche Grammophon have captured the public and critical imagination and led to album streams in the hundreds of millions. Now one of the most sought-after artists of our time, Ólafsson’s multiple awards include Gramophone magazine’s 2019 Artist of the Year, Opus Klassik Solo Recording Instrumental (twice) and Album of the Year at the 2019 BBC Music Magazine Awards. 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.
LISTING INFORMATION
VÍKINGUR ÓLAFSSON, PIANO
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WHEN: |
Sunday, November 20 at 3:00 PM, with a pre-concert talk by Dr. Scott Burnham at 2:00 PM. There will be no late seating during the concert. |
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WHAT: |
“Mozart & Contemporaries:” Music by W.A. Mozart, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Domenica Cimarosa, and Joseph Haydn |
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WHERE: |
Princeton University Concerts, Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall, Princeton University |
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TICKETS: |
$30-$50 General | $10 Students. Full-priced tickets are sold out. Turned-back and obstructed view seats may be available. Please call 609-258-2800 for more information. |
