A W A R D S
November issue 2016:
"DIAPASON d'Or découverte"
October 2016:
"Recording of the month"
February 2017:
"Editor's recommendation"
Norwegian Music Competition for Youth 2016/17:
"Musician of the year"
Norwegian Music Competition for Youth 2014/15:
1st Prize | Singers 10-15 years &
Norwegian Music Teachers' Association's Prize
Nomination 2016:
"Newcomer of the year and GRAMO-stipend"
B I O G R A P H Y
LANGUAGE
THE SHORT STORY
Before his voice changed to baritone, Aksel Rykkvin (b. 2003, Norway) was regarded as "the world's premier boy soprano", according to Swedish Radio P2. He recorded two critically appraised albums, "Aksel! Arias by Bach, Handel & Mozart" and "Light Divine: baroque music for treble and ensemble" on the Signum Classics label, and was nominated as Newcomer of the year for the Spellemannprisen award in Norway in 2017. After receiving gushing reviews for many major child roles both at the mainstage of the Norwegian Opera & Ballet and in the Children's Chorus, he had his international debut in Paris in September 2017 at the Opéra Comique as "Anthony" in "Miranda".
Starting out as a chorister in Oslo Cathedral Boys' Choir, Aksel has sung several solo concerts as well as performed as a soloist with the foremost Norwegian classical musicians and orchestras, including the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra and Arve Tellefsen. He has performed in major tv and radio shows in Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands and UK and has reached millions through YouTube and Facebook. After his voice changed in the autumn of 2017, he continued training with his main voice teacher Marianne Lewis, through the classical music talent program run by Majorstuen school and Barratt Due Institute of Music in Oslo. A budding baritone at 15 years, he has already performed the lead role in the children's opera "Purriot and the Case of the Missing Bronze Horse", sung several concerts at the Fjord Classics chamber music festival and the baritone solo parts in Brahms' "Ein deutsches Requiem".
Aksel has had the pleasure to work as a soloist with many musicians and ensembles:
Albert Noven
Alison Bury
Amalie Stalheim
Arve Tellefsen
Bernhard Greter
Bjarne Magnus Jensen
Bjarte Engeset
Christian Eggen
Christian Ihle Hadland
Daniel Migdal
David Blackadder
David Huang
David Maiwald
Fredrik Anderberg
Helene Haarr
Henning Kraggerud
Håkon Nystedt
Håvard Gimse
Inga Lohne-Otterstad
Ingar Bergby
Ivar Anton Waagaard
Joachim Knoph
John Lidal
Knut Erik Sundquist
Knut Johannessen
Kåre Nordstoga
Lars Anders Tomter
Lars Notto Birkeland
Lazar Miletic
Liv Hilde Klokk
Liv Marie Hofseth
Louisa Tuck
Louise Agnani
Magne H. Draagen
Maria Angelika Carlsen
Marianne Thorsen
Marius Kvits
Marcus André Berg
Mark Bennett
Mark Tatlow
Mathis Manger Winther
Max Nyberg
Michael Grolid
Natallia Papova
Nigel Short
Ole Christian Haagenrud
Olav Morten Wang
Olof Ander
Peder A. Rensvik
Raphaël Pichon
Rolf Lislevand
Ruth Anderberg
Sandra Lied Haga
Sean Lewis
Sidsel Walstad
Sigmund Groven
Simen Kraggerud
Stephen Hicks
Steven Devine
Terje Kvam
Tore Dingstad
Tore Erik Mohn
Urban Westerlund
Vegar Johnsen
Vegard Sandholt
Victoria W. Lewis
Vivianne Sydnes
Ågot Sagbakken
double bass
violin
violincello
violin
piano
violin
conduction
conduction
piano
violin
trumpet
piano
conduction, piano
violin
song
violin
conduction
piano
song
conduction
piano
piano
piano
double bass
harpsichord
organ
viola
conduction, organ
viola
violin
conduction, organ, piano
violincello
violincello
conduction, organ
violin
violin
piano
organ
conduction, trumpet
conduction, harpsichord
song
piano
viola
piano
conduction
piano
conduction
viola
conduction
conduction
lute
violin
cello
piano
harp
harmonica
piano
piano
conduction,
harpsichord
conduction, organ
piano
conduction
harpsichord
violin
conduction, organ
violin
conduction
trumpet
Barokkanerne
Ensemble Allegria
Ensemble Pygmalion
Fuse
IRIS Chamber Orchestra
Lilla Akademien Baroque Orchestra
MiNensemblet
Norwegian Chamber Orchestra
Norwegian National Youth Orchestra
Norwegian Radio Orchestra
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra
Oslofjord Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra
Scaramuccia Ensemble
Trondheim Barokk
Trondheim Soloists
Cantate Domino
Kristiansund Chamber Choir
Nidaros Cathedral Choir
Nordstrand Church Choir
Oslo Cathedral Choir
Røros Oratorio Choir
THE LONG STORY
Norwegian classical singer Aksel Rykkvin (b. 2003) recorded his debut album as a treble with the world renowned Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment at just twelve years old. Aksel! Arias by Bach, Handel & Mozart (2016) was awarded a ‘DIAPASON d'Or découverte’, and BBC Music Magazine named him as one of the ‘six best child prodigies’ in classical music. Aksel was nominated as ‘Newcomer of the year’ at the Spellemannprisen awards in Norway in 2017. Aksel has performed at numerous concerts and festivals all over Norway, including the first edition of Fjord Classics and Oslo Chamber Music Festival. In 2017, he opened the Stockholm Early Music Festival and performed at the Klassiek op het Amstelveld in Amsterdam. He has performed regularly on radio or tv in Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK, including Scandinavia’s biggest talkshow, ‘Skavlan’, Norwegian ‘Lindmo’ and BBC Radio 3 ‘In tune’. Aksel has sung for the Norwegian Royal family on several occasions, including at the 80 years anniversary party of the King and Queen with a host of European royalty present. He has worked with the Oslo Philharmonic, the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, Arve Tellefsen, Henning Kraggerud, Håvard Gimse, Christian Ihle Hadland, Lars Anders Tomter, Rolf Lislevand, Sigmund Groven and many more of the most prominent Norwegian orchestras, musicians and conductors. Aksel is something of an international phenomenon in social media, with millions of video views on YouTube and Facebook.
At 13 years old Aksel won the National Norwegian Music Competition for Youth, which is open to classical musicians and singers up to age 22.
Aksel is already a merited soloist at the Norwegian National Opera. The Financial Times described him as “freakishly good” in his first main stage role as ‘the Boy’ in Rolf Wallin’s Elysium. He dazzled critics further as ‘Yniold’ in Debussy’s Pélleas et Mélisande, a performance that ResMusica called ‘unsurpassable’. In September 2017 Aksel made his international opera debut at Opéra Comique in Paris, as ‘Anthony’ in Katie Mitchell and Raphaël Pichon’s Miranda.
Since June 2016, Aksel has collaborated regularly with baroque trumpeter Mark Bennett for concerts together with various Norwegian orchestras, some of which have been broadcast on NRK. After a concert series with the MiN Ensemble in Nordland, the artistic leader Lazar Miletic invited Aksel and Mark to record a baroque album which was released in March 2018 on Signum Classics (London). The Guardian wrote that the soprano arias “suit young Rykkvin’s pure tone and mature musicianship to perfection”.
Aksel still sings in Oslo Cathedral Boys’ Choir where he started out receiving training as a five-year-old from voice teacher Helene Haarr. When he started singing in the Children’s Chorus of the Norwegian National Opera at the age of ten, Aksel began singing studies with his present main voice teacher Marianne Lewis both in the opera and in the classical music talent class at Majorstuen school in Oslo. Aksel and Marianne have been invited to international voice teacher conferences in Stockholm and New York to present their work. Aksel’s voice changed in the late autumn of 2017. He has surprised everyone with a fast transition to baritone and is heading towards a continued career as a classical and opera singer.
C U R R I C U L U M V I T A E
A K S E L R Y K K V I N
Born 11.04.2003
Contact Rikard Rykkvin (Aksel's father/manager):
mobile: +47 91 75 56 52
rikryk@gmail.com
Background
Aksel Rykkvin is a 13 years old award-winning, classically trained boy soprano with extensive soloist and choir experience from the Children's Chorus of the Norwegian National Opera and Oslo Cathedral Boys' Choir from the age of five years. He is the most requested boy soloist in Norway for operas, festivals and concerts, has a large following in social media, and is becoming more and more recognized internationally. In 2017 he won the Norwegian Music Competition for Youth. Aksel's first solo album, recorded with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment in London, was released in September 2016 on Signum Classics. It was celebrated by critics in international magazines, received awards such as Diapason d'Or découverte, and led to a "Spellemann" award nomination for Aksel as "Newcomer of the Year".
Awards
Norwegian Music Competion for Youth 2014 | Norwegian Academy of Music
23.11.2014 | Winner of category: singers, 10 – 15 years (25 out of 25 points)
Norwegian Music Competion for Youth 2014 | Norwegian Academy of Music
23.11.2014 | Winner of Norwegian Music Teachers' Association's Prize
MusicWeb International
31.10.2016 | Recording of the month
Diapason magazine
23.11.2016 | Diapason d'Or Découverte
Norwegian Music Competion for Youth 2016/17 | Norwegian Academy of Music
21.01.2017 | Overall winner: "Musician of the year"
Education
Majorstuen school ("Music at Majorstuen") 2015 -
Primary and secondary school offering music education in conjunction with Barratt Due Institute of Music. for talents within classical music.
Voice teacher 2013 - : Marianne Willumsen Lewis (Music at Majorstuen & Children's Chorus of the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet)
Voice teacher 2009 - : Helene Haarr (Oslo Cathedral Boys' Choir)
Voice teacher 2010 - 11: Ulrika Löfgren (Oslo Cathedral Boys' Choir)
Voice teacher 2012: Daniel Sæther (Oslo Cathedral Boys' Choir)
Selected concert performances
In dulci jubilo Christmas concerts| Oslo Cathedral
Dec 2011 – Dec 2014 | with Oslo Cathedral Boys' Choir, Oslo Cathedral Choir, etc
Oslo International Church Music Festival | St. Margaret's Church, Oslo (NRK)
30.03.2014 | with Oslo Cathedral Boys' Choir, conducted by Vegar Sandholt
Solo concert | Oslo Cathedral
25.10.2014 | with Cathedral organist Kåre Nordstoga
Private event | House of the Norwegian Music Teachers' Association, Oslo
05.12.2014 | with pianist Sean Lewis
Private event | Bærum Waldorf School
10.01.2015 | with harmonica player Sigmund Groven and pianist Ivar Anton Waagard
Good Friday service| Nidaros Cathedral, Trondheim
05.04.2015 | with Nidaros Cathedral Choir, conducted by Tore Erik Mohn
Solo concert | Nidaros Cathedral, Tondheim
05.04.2015 | with principal cathedral organist Magne H. Draagen
Funeral of Carl Nesjar | Bøler Church, Oslo
02.06.2015 | with violinist Arve Tellefsen and pianist Erling Strøm
Congress | Norwegian National Opera, Main House
16.06.2015 | with pianist David Maiwald
Memorial service | Oslo Cathedral (NRK)
22.07.2015 | with Oslo Cathedral Choir, conducted by Vivianne Sydnes
Award ceremony of Anders Jahre's culture prize | University Aula, Oslo
03.09.2016 | with pianist Tore Dingstad
KKKK festival | Molde Cathedral and Kirkelandet Church
12. & 13.09.2015 | with Kristiansund Chamber Choir, conducted by Peder Rensvik
Røros Organ Festival | Røros Church
21.09.2015 | with Røros Chamber Choir, conducted by Stephen Hicks
Mozart "Kleine orgelsolomesse" | Røa Church and Nordstrand Church
24. & 25.09.2015 | with Oslo Cathedral Boys' Choir etc., conducted by Liv Marie Hofseth
Solo concert | Oslo Cathedral
31.10.2015 | with cathedral organist Kåre Nordstoga
Film concert | Oslo Concert Hall
21.11.2015 | with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Håkon Nystedt
Christmas concert | Elverum Church
22.12.2015 | with violinist Victoria Lewis and Cantate Domino and, conducted by Ole Andreas Fevang
Album recording | St. Augustine's Church, Kilburn
17. - 22.01.2016 | with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, conducted by Nigel Short, produced by Sean Lewis
Good Friday service | Nordstrand Church, Oslo (NRK)
25.03.2016 | with Nordstrand Church Choir, conducted by Liv Marie Hofseth
Reception dinner (Minister of Labour and Social Inclusion Anniken Hauglie) | Government representation rooms
06.04.2016 | with violinist Victoria Lewis, pianist Sean Lewis
Youth help youth | Barratt Due Institute of Music
07.04.2016 | with pianist Natallia Papova
Mass | Oslo Cathedral
24.04.2016 | with cathedral organist Kåre Nordstoga
Launch concert Oslo Chamber Music Festival | Villa Grande, Bygdøy
10.05.2016 | with violinist Arve Tellefsen and pianist Håvard Gimse
Concert | Lady Chapel, Ely Cathedral (England)
12.05.2016 | with cathedral organist Kåre Nordstoga and Oslo Cathedral Boys' Choir
Concert | St. Mark's Church, Newnham, Cambridge (England)
13.05.2016 | with cathedral organist Kåre Nordstoga and Oslo Cathedral Boys' Choir
Concert | St. George's Church, Chesterton, Cambridge (England)
14.05.2016 | with cathedral organist Kåre Nordstoga and Oslo Cathedral Boys' Choir
Launch concert Oslo Chamber Music Festival | Lysøen, Bergen
19.05.2016 | with violinist Arve Tellefsen and pianist Håvard Gimse
Concert | Furuset church
22.05.2016 | with pianist Sean Lewis
Abel Prize banquet | Olav V's hall, Akershus Castle
24.05.2016 | with pianist Sean Lewis
Catholic mass | Trinity Church
29.05.2016 | with Oslo Cathedral Boys' Choir, Trinity Church Girls' Choir, Oslofjord Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra
Bach at mass (BWV51) | Akershus Castle Church
05.06.2016 | with composite orchestra, conducted by Lars Notto Birkeland
Concert | Akershus Castle Church
05.06.2016 | with composite orchestra, conducted by Lars Notto Birkeland
Memorial concert for Turid Birkeland | Risør Chamber Music Festival, Risør Church
02.07.2016 | with harpsichordist Knut Johannessen
Outdoor concert | Risør Chamber Music Festival, Stangholmen
02.07.2016 | with the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra and violinist Henning Kraggerud
Handel concert | Oslo Chamber Music Festival, Olav V's Hall, Akershus Castle
21.08.2016 | with Trondheim Barokk and harpsichordist Steven Devine
Gala concert | Oslo Chamber Music Festival, Gamle Logen
25.08.2016 | with pianist Håvard Gimse
Bach Night | Oslo Chamber Music Festival, Uranienborg Church
26.08.2016 | with Ensemble Allegria, trumpeter Mark Bennett and cathedral organist Kåre Nordstoga
Concert project Majorstuen school | Norwegian Academy of Music
01.09.2016 | with trumpeter Ågot Sandbakken
Music at Majorstuen concert | Oslo Culture Night, Gamle Logen
16.09.2016 | with trumpeter Ågot Sandbakken
Besides these, numerous other soloist performances 2011 - 16 in Oslo Cathedral, Trinity Church, St. Olav's Cathedral, Nidaros Cathedral, University of Oslo Library, Norwegian Academy of Music, Majorstuen school, Frognerhjemmet, as well as the churches of Old Aker, Eidsvoll, Nes, Ljan, Nordstrand, Kampen and Lilleborg.
Upcoming selected soloist appearances:
Faure's Requiem | Oslo Cathedral
05.11.2016 and 06.11.2016 | with Oslo Cathedral Choir and Oslofjord Chamber Philarmonic Orchestra
Opera roles
La bohème | The National Norwegian Opera (DNO), Main house
Feb 2014 | ”A boy”
The Tempest – The story about Miranda and Ferdinand | DNO, Scene 2
June 2014 | ”The Spider”
Cinderella – a children's opera | DNO, Scene 2
Nov 2014 | ”The Herold”
Snow White – a children's opera | DNO, Scene 2
May 2015 | ”Petter” (The Prince)
Der Jasager - He who says "Yes" | DNO, Scene 2
Nov 2015 | ”The Boy” (title role)
Elysium | DNO, Main House | Directed by David Pountney
Apr 2016 | ”The Boy”
Pelléas et Mélisande | DNO, Main House | Directed by Barbora Horáková Joly
March/April 2017 | "Yniold"
Tosca | DNO, Main House | Directed by Calixto Bieito
June/Aug 2017 | "Eduardo" (A Shepherd Boy)
Miranda | Opéra Comique | Directed by Katie Mitchell
Sept/Oct 2017 | "Anthony"
Other roles
Cygne (ballet) | DNO, Main House
June 2016 | "The Child"
Frozen Songs (dance performance) | Zero Visibility Corp
2017-19 | Pre-recorded video of Purcell's "The Cold Song"
TV and radio soloist performances
Artist gala | TV2
14.12.2013
July 22th Memorial service | NRK1
22.07.2015
Spillerom | NRK P2
04.12.2015
God Morgen Norge julaften | TV2
24.12.2015
Hovedscenen | NRK2
31.01.2016 (several re-runs)
In Tune | BBC Radio 3
09.09.2016
Lindmo | NRK1
17.09.2016
Activities
Oslo Cathedral Boys' Choir
Member since March 2009
Children’s Chorus of the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet
Member since October 2013
Choir and chamber choir - Music at Majorstuen
Member since August 2015
Recordings
Video recordings of songs (including TV recordings from NRK and TV2) can be watched by visiting Aksel's popular channels at YouTube and Vimeo:
www.youtube.com/c/akseljohannesskramstadrykkvin
www.vimeo.com/ajsrykkvin (older videos)