We believe, this may be the OLDEST article about Alexander published on the Internet. Thanks a LOT to Olina Novikova for finding it:-)
The Youth Symphony with violin talent
Buskerud Youth String Orchestra has signed the talented young violinist Alexander Rybak as a soloist for their spring concert in Harmonien’s concert hall in Drammen.
Author and photo: Bjørn Zarbell-Engh. Published: 18.2.02 on www.dt.no Translation by Marianne Saietz, revision by Anni Jowett
Coveted
Alexander Rybak won 1st prize in the “Sparre Olsen competition”, in both 2000 and 2001, and is the prize winner of the Youths String Championship. He is a coveted soloist with a several concerts in Norway and tours in Poland and Spain. This winter he went to Moscow, where he played the violin concert of Sibelius. He has a large repertoire and plays all works by heart. In addition to playing the violin, he is an ordinary 15-year-old who takes 10th grade at Nesodden school and is active in basketball and snowboard.
” It is a great joy for the Buskerud Youth String Orchestra, to present one of Norway’s biggest violin talents” – says the conductor of the orchestra, Thode Fagelund, before the concert in cooperation with “Musikkens venner ” in Drammen.
50 young musicians
The Buskerud Youth String Orchestra has since its beginning in 1991, had many challenging and exciting assignments, with Aage Kvalbein being soloist in Haydns cello concert as the peak and a successful collaboration with the Chinese violinist Sheng Zhong Hua. Several of the string-players have felt for symphonic challenges. At the spring concert “Youth-symphony”, the orchestra has gathered around 50 young musicians from Buskerud’s own area, from Ullevål and Marienlyst String Orchestra and from Vestfold and Telemark. Friends from the orchestra’s annual summer course.
The horn-group is gathered from current and previous music students from St. Hallvard high school and from marching bands in the area. With a programme containing something for every taste: Schuberts ” 3rd symphony nr. 3 in D-major, Wieniawskys “Legend”, C. Saint-Säens “Introduction et Rondo Capricciosso» and «West Side Story» av L. Bernstein/J.Mason.
Alexander obviously had good teachers, and great parents…but his special ability comes from his heart.
Here is a recording of Saint-Saen’s introduction and capriccioso: