Source: fidelio.hu | Published: 30.08.2015 | Text: Zoltán Csicsely | Translated by Mónika Menyhért, revised by Patti Palazola Huegerich
Cleverly experimenting with genre boundaries, and perhaps it's this one and the good stage presence that is behind his success. He brought his aptitude for classical music from home: his mother is a pianist, and his father violinist. Alexander Rybak won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2009, and for the first time ever, he performed in Hungary on the 20th August.
You have a lot of concerts and you travel a lot. How much time do you need to find the common voice with the local orchestras who accompany you, in this case the Hegyvidéki Solti György Orchestra?
- Of course I’m always searching for opportunities to talk to the orchestra members, but I met professional musicians this time too. They not only did a great job, but had a sense for pop music as well. When I was preparing for my trip to Budapest, my parents told me that there are very good musicians in Hungary.
How well do you know the Hungarian music culture, our musicians?
- I’m rather focusing on what I can get to know about them in the future. I don’t want to say names, it's pretty much easy to mix up who is from which county.
After winning the Eurovision Song Contest you went back to the conservatory to finish your studies. Why did you consider that as important?
- I didn’t want to forget where I come from. Fame and glory are uplifting feelings, but I definitely wanted to finish what I’ve started. I have been studying classical music since my childhood, and I believed it would have been foolish to give it up just because pop music is more popular.
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| Alexander at the gala concert with the Virtuózok-talents in Budapest, August 2015 |
Why did you decide to turn also towards popular music?
- I haven’t left the classical music behind, rather consider pop music as a different experience in my life. I inherited from my father being open-minded towards all kinds of music. He taught me how to play the violin, not only playing the sheet music, but also how to improvise and to try out different music genres. My dad loves playing jazz. For me, it is the same with pop music.
Who are your favourites in this genre?
- I often listen to Eminem, Michael Jackson, Julio Iglesias. I am fond of good hits.
But still, it was kind of a serious decision to choose the violin out of your parents’ instruments.
- As a child it is easier to play the piano, because you can see the results sooner. It was like that with me too, I played the piano quite well. Meanwhile I also played the violin, which is more difficult. Sometimes it takes even 3-4 years when a musician will be satisfied with his play. You have to practice a lot, and after a while this instrument starts to sound nice also. My father noticed some kind of talent in me while playing the violin.
Do you sometimes make music together with your family?
- Yes, we do now and then, but only to entertain ourselves. We very rarely perform together, because we want to separate our career and private life.
Would you have become a musician as well, if your parents had not been musicians themselves?
- I think it’s unnecessary to think about these kind of questions. What if we hadn’t moved to Norway from Belarus when I was four? What if my parents really hadn’t been musicians at all? I can only answer one question related to this: if I hadn’t become a musician or an artist, I could imagine myself as a teacher.
Is this one of your plans?
- No, it isn’t. I want to become a composer, that is my biggest dream.
You have previously told reporters that you would like to compose music, far from big cities.
- That is right, I am dreaming about living in the countryside with my wife and family, if I ever get the chance to have any, of course. And there I would write music for films, video games, and for other artists.
In how much time do you see yourself like this?
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Alexander at the gala concert
with the Virtuózok-talents
in Budapest, August 2015
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- Five years ago, I said: approximately in ten years. Now I feel I need another ten years to achieve this.
Does this mean you’re fed up with your current life?
- Not at all. But I only want to travel and perform as long as I enjoy it, and to quit before I’ve had enough of it. I enjoy my life as it is, I’m doing lots of things: performing in clubs and stadiums, both in Scandinavia and Russia, working on a childern’s music book right now and playing in musicals.
- While performing, not really. But 2-3 months before the event, I always search for details about the place where I’m going to perform, and get information about the audience. I did the same before my trip to Budapest. I knew the gala of the talent show "Virtuózok" (Virtuosi) would be an open-air classical concert, and that we will perform mostly in front of families. Hungary is one of the capitals of classical music, I’ve never been here before, but have heard about it a lot: many of my friends studied here.
What are you working on at the moment?
- I have just finished writing a children's book. Recently I was one of the jurors in a talent show in Russia, and I have played in a musical in Norway. I write songs both in Russian and English. Next year will be ten years since I won my first talent show in Norway, and in the same year I will turn 30 years old. I have many plans related to performances.
Do I know right that you like to support and working with young talents?
- Yes, that is right. But not only with youth, I enjoy working with talents of all age generations. I would be very happy to get the opportunity to collaborate with Hungarian musicians too.
Alexander gave this interview before the gala concert of the "Virtuózok"-talents that he participated in.
Find out everything about it and his visit in Hungary in 2015 ➡HERE
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