Rybak-success in Valdres - articles on oa.no, 23.6.2009

Alexander Rybak as a guest at Valdres Sommersimfoni 

"Alexander Rybak held a sparkling concert
at Saint John's Eve in Valdreshallen in Fagernes."
- a video of Valdresportalen 
(a short interview included)

Two articles (excerpts) and a photo gallery were published in the local paper Oppland Arbeiderblad.

Text and photos: Anne Kjønniksen | Published on oa.no | 23.6.2009 | Translated by Mónika Menyhért

Alexander Rybak took the nearly 1500 attendees

by storm in Valdreshallen

Grandmothers, kindergarten children and a bunch of festival participants sat like herrings in a barrel when the Eurovision winner entered the stage and got feet stomping late Tuesday night.

Received with open arms

- I did not know that there were so many people in Valdres. Nice to meet you, greeted the entertainer, before he started "It is not necessarily so" by Gershwin.

It set the tone for the rest of the concert. One famous gem after another was served to the audience, who welcomed  him with open arms. Our new celebrity clearly felt at home on stage and when he eventually got familiar with the audience, he could truly show that he is a skilled violinist. He masters a wide range, both in playing skills and music genres.

10th Summer Symphony

- Now I'm at my 10th Summer Symphony, it's actually an anniversary. This is a fun tradition, said the cheerful violinist and showed that he also masters the classical part to a great extent. The audience heard "Summer" by Vivaldi, performed vigorously and powerfully.

[...]

For the young summer symphonists, it was a great moment to see and hear Rybak rehearse with Valdres Festival Strings before the big concert on Tuesday, and there were quite a few autographs he had to sign.

Rybak's Grand Prix winning song, Fairytale, will be performed with a full orchestra for the first time by himself and the festival string players this evening. The income goes in full to the project "Playing for a future". The concert otherwise offers both jazz, classical and pop.

Fun to be back

- It's fun to be back at the summer symphony. I participated for the first time as a 13-year-old, and this event has undoubtedly meant a lot to me over the years. Even though I was never so tired of and fed up with rehearsals, I had to come here as a start to the summer. Here you feel like to play. The summer symphony has a wonderful mix of rehearsal, play and great social interaction. The festival also 

has a great mix of courses, good teachers and great concerts, says Alexander Rybak.

Good advice

The newly crowned celebrity also takes the time to come up with some good advice for the very youngest.

- Take time to practice. Then you can be very good, he recommended.

The Grand Prix winner admits that he will not participate in the summer symphony other than to hold a concert. There will be no classes with teachers this time.

- Maybe I'm a little scared of having forgotten something of the classic. There has been a lot of pop lately, says the violinist and laughs, before he walks out into the sun for a well-deserved break.

(The translator of this article is not native either in the Norwegian or the English language, so any correction is welcomed and appreciated.)