Aksel Rykkvin
Norwegian boy soprano Aksel Rykkvin, all quintessential Scandinavian good looks, released his debut album, Aksel!, at the end of 2016. By that time he was 13 years old, going on 14: late for the onset of puberty in contemporary Western societies. Perhaps the clarity of his voice seemed unearthly in part because it was doomed to pass away in just a few months, and no one knew what kind of adult singer Rykkvin would turn out to be.
He was born on April 11, 2003. His parents noticed that even as a toddler he loved singing. A maternal uncle had also been a boy chorister, and Rykkvin was steered toward the Oslo Cathedral Boys' Choir when he was five years old. Although he was officially too young, he was accepted into the choir's training program, studying with Helene Haarr, and joined the main choir when he was seven. Studying solo songs in preparation on family vacations, he was selected for a solo slot when he was eight and began to attract attention as a standout talent. Entering the Music at Majorstuen school, partly funded by the city of Oslo, Rykkvin took lessons with Marianne Lewis. He joined the Children's Chorus of the Norwegian Opera & Ballet in 2013.
The Aksel! album seemed to introduce an unknown talent to the world outside Norway, but Rykkvin had actually attained a substantial level of celebrity in Norway prior to its release. He performed on Norwegian television broadcasters NRK and TV2, was featured in several concerts with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, and sang the opening music on one of the most-watched programs in Norway on Christmas Eve. Rykkvin also appeared on the BBC Radio 3 show In Tune. He has sung at official functions in Norway in the presence of top national officials and the country's royal family. Rykkvin has made operatic appearances in the science fiction opera Elysium by Rolf Wallin, in Kurt Weill's Der Jasager, and, in spring 2017, as Yniold in Debussy's Pélleas et Melisande at the Norwegian Opera. Through 2016 Rykkvin was a frequent presence in cathedral choral concerts in Scandinavia and Britain. Aksel!, featuring arias by Bach, Handel, and Mozart, made its debut in the Top Ten on a British classical sales chart and earned honors including the Diapason "Découverte" newcomers' award in France. Off the musical stage he enjoys playing soccer with a local Oslo team.
© James Manheim /TiVo
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Discography
3 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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Aksel ! (Arias by Bach, Handel & Mozart)
Aksel Rykkvin, Orchestra Of The Age Of Enlightenment, Nigel Short
Vocal Music (Secular and Sacred) - Released by Signum Records on Sep 1, 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Light Divine
Aksel Rykkvin, Mark Bennett, The MIN Ensemble
Classical - Released by Signum Records on Mar 9, 2018
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May
Joachim Knoph, Aksel Rykkvin, Marcus André Berg
Classical - Released by Magnata Records on Sep 5, 2018
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo