1. Alexander Rybak: biography and childhood of the artist2. Alexander Rybak: family3. Alexander Rybak: career4. Interesting facts and rumors5. Alexander Rybak: personal life
The record holder for the most points at Eurovision, the winner of this grandiose song show in 2009, a young artist with a charming appearance, a Norwegian musician of Belarusian origin.
A model of success for young violinists from Europe. All this is one person, all this is the wonderful Alexander Rybak. Even if you haven't heard of him, you couldn't help but hear his most famous song, “Fairytail.”
Childhood and education of Alexander Rybak
Alexander Rybak was born in the capital of Belarus, Minsk.
Alexander's parents are professional musicians. Father Igor Aleksandrovich is a violinist in a musical ensemble in the city of Vitebsk, and mother Natalya Valentinovna is a pianist who works in the editorial office of music programs on Belarusian television. Grandmother Maria Borisovna Savitskaya is also related to music; she worked as a teacher at a music school. Since childhood, Alexander followed in the footsteps of his parents, showing interest in music and singing. From the age of 5, under the guidance of his father, he studied music, learned to play the violin and piano, danced and sang songs of his own composition.
Alexander Rybak - successor to the dynasty of musicians
When the son was 4 years old, the family moved to Norway, where the father was invited to work. Alexander studied at a music school, and after graduating he entered the conservatory in Oslo, where he still studies.
Fisherman with a violin
Alexander Rybak, the triumphant Eurovision-09, a native of Minsk, and now a participant in the Slavic Bazaar in Vitebsk, lives in Norway. Alexander’s father, Igor Rybak, was passing through Moscow - from Crimea to the Pskov region - and gave an exclusive interview to the SOYUZ correspondent.
— Are you still a citizen of Belarus?
— Yes, I have dual citizenship. My mother and aunt live in the Pskov region on the border with Belarus. These are Pushkin's places, not far from Nevel. I was at Artek for a week at the invitation of the general director of the camp, spoke to the kids, and now I’m going to visit my mother.
— How did you dare to leave Belarus in Soviet times and start everything from scratch?
— I was born in Vitebsk, I worked as a second accompanist at the Operetta Theater. Then I found out that there was a competition for a chamber orchestra, the most prestigious orchestra in Belarus, which performed with Rostropovich, Richter, and took part in the “December Evenings”. I took part in this competition. I worked in this orchestra for 10 years, the orchestra often toured abroad. When we were on tour in Oslo, I stayed in Norway. First he worked for 8 years at the Norwegian Opera House, then opened a private violin school in Oslo and created an orchestra. It consists mainly of my students. I write music, in addition to the violin I play the accordion, piano, and guitar.
- Was your son your student?
— Sasha is my first student. I started teaching it back in Minsk. My son studied at the school at the conservatory - first on the piano, then on the violin. In just a couple of months he studied and moved to Norway. At concerts, Sasha and I played not only classics, but also jazz. Sometimes they sang songs in two or three voices - Belarusian, Russian.
— Your family song?
— We are often asked to perform “To the Music of Vivaldi” by Berkovsky. Our version of “Topol” is very popular.
— In what halls do you perform in Norway?
- Not always in big ones. It is not customary to advertise there; people learn about events from the newspapers. Now Alexander will have a big concert on August 11 at the opera house. As soon as he was offered to perform there, two days later there were almost no tickets left at the box office. In Norway he is received very warmly.
— Your son said in one of his interviews that life in Norway is fun.
- Young people are cheerful. Norwegians have a calm and Nordic national character. If something annoys them, they will never show it. I am a very impulsive person, and for some time their slowness irritated me, but now we have many friends all over the world. We were surrounded by friendly people.
— Did you train Sasha to become a classical musician?
- Naturally. But we also played jazz and sang songs by Sergei Nikitin. I write songs. In recent years, when Sasha became popular in Norway, he won prizes at the Young Talents of Norway competition. They told him: “Play classics - you’re a pro,” but he said that he would play jazz, and he won. Alexander developed the following concept: he would play a Tchaikovsky concerto, and then something lighter - gypsy tunes. I think its concept is interesting, it popularizes classical music. People come out refreshed after his concert. Many say that Sasha is doing a great job by popularizing the classics.
- How do you spend your free time?
— Sasha loves sports, he even works as a trainer in a fitness club. If you noticed, he is pumped up and has beautiful muscles. Loves surfing, slalom, cycling. He loves to travel, and at this time some ideas are born to him. Previously, he was unknown and treated with distrust, but when he won the competition three years ago, they began to invite him to join them. In Norway, as in England, my home is my castle. Sasha knocked down this stereotype.
— His favorite food?
- Belarusian “sorcerers”. But this dish was not always a favorite. Everything depends on age. At first, at the age of 10, he ran to McDonald's. Then he switched to pizza, and his mother is a brilliant housewife. When grandmothers came to us from Belarus, they prepared “sorcerers”. And as soon as Sasha drives home from somewhere, he sends a text message: “Mom, prepare the sorcerers!”
— How many years have you not been to Belarus?
- 19 years.
- And Sasha?
— I just took part in a competition as a member of the jury, performed with the Presidential Orchestra of Belarus, sang “Kupalinka.” He had great success.
— How did you follow Sasha’s performance at Eurovision?
— Channel One didn’t let us watch his triumph. In the middle of the voting, I was urgently put into a car and, with flashing lights, taken to Ostankino for Andrei Malakhov’s program, and we so dreamed of watching Sasha’s triumph when they congratulated him. We met with Sasha in the morning. He arrived and immediately went to bed. The next day we were invited to a celebration at the Norwegian embassy.
— Is it true that he wrote the song he performed at Eurovision while yearning for his first girlfriend?
— Not so much about a girl, but about first love. She lives in Norway and played in my orchestra. But as soon as she began posing for glossy magazines, Sasha crossed her out of his heart, although she congratulated him on his victory and offered to play a duet.
— What are Sasha’s plans?
— He was invited to Russia, he was just in Belarus, Ukraine. There are many concerts coming up in Norway. He has a live performance, the soundtrack erases the soul. When there is live sound, there is communication with the audience, you carry your heart to the audience.
— His preferences in music?
- He loves Russian music - Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Mussorgsky, Bach.
— How do you see its future?
— There are many possibilities. He played in the theater, for his role in the play “Fiddler on the Roof” he was awarded the prestigious theater award “Best Debutant of the Year.”
...To say goodbye, Igor Aleksandrovich took out a handwritten sheet of music. He wanted to provide his compatriots with a song that he composed for Alexander when he was little.
— I want to contact the Belarusian channel or the Rossiya channel, with the program “Good night, kids!” - he said. - Maybe they’ll take this lullaby in connection with Sasha’s success? Unlike the lullaby “Tired toys are sleeping,” which has been heard for more than 30 years, my song takes 20 bars, is more laconic, the intonations are similar, but more calm. Sasha could have performed it himself...
Musical activity of Alexander Rybak
From an early age, Alexandra began playing with his father in the musical of the vocalist of the Norwegian group a-ha Morten Harket.
During the tour, he visited various European countries, the USA and China. He had the opportunity to perform on the same stage with famous musicians and singers: Hanne Krogh, Arve Tellefsen and the world famous violinist Pinchas Zuckerman. In 2006, Rybak took part in the Norwegian young talent competition “Kjempesjansen”, where he performed his song “Foolin'” and became the winner.
Currently, Alexander Rybak is a member of the Norwegian youth symphony orchestra “Ung Symphony”, where he holds the position of concertmaster. Alexander's musical idols are: The Beatles, Sting and Mozart.
In May 2009, Rybak took part in the Eurovision 2009 contest, where he performed his song “Fairytale”. He won the competition and set a new record with 387 points. According to Alexander, the song is dedicated to his ex-girlfriend Ingrid. In June 2009, Alexander’s first album “Fairytale” (Fairy Tales) was released.
Eurovision 2009: Alexander Rybak
Participation in competitions and awards[ | ]
- 2000 and 2001: Sparre Olsen Young Musician Competition Award.
- 2003: Meadowmount Student Award.
- 2004: Awarded the Anders Jares Prize for Culture at the end of the year[39]
- 2005: Made it to the semi-finals of the Norwegian version of the Idol competition (analogous to Star Factory).
- 2006: Won the NRK Kjempesjansen competition with his own song Foolin[40].
- 2007: Awarded the Hedda Prize for his role in the play “Fiddler on the Roof” at the Norwegian Oslo Nye Teater[41].
- 2008: Participation in the TV show “One to One” in which he parodied Dima Bilan[42].
- 2009: Won the Norwegian Eurovision 2009 qualifying round with his own song “Fairytale”[43]
- 2009: Won the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 in Moscow.
- 2010: Awarded the Russian prize Compatriot of the Year “Crystal Globe”[44].
- 2010: Awarded the Grammy Award as part of Spellemann for the year in Norway[45].
- 2010: Awarded the God of the Air Prize in the “RADIOHIT” nomination - “foreign performer”[46].
- 2010: Won in the Breakthrough of the Year
at the Muz-TV 2010 award[47]. - 2011: Participated as a contestant in a vocal television show in Kyiv and in a dance program on television in Stockholm[48][49].
- 2015: Participation in the TV show “One to One!” on the Russia-1 channel.
- 2018: Won the Norwegian Eurovision 2020 qualifying round with his own song “That's How You Write A Song”.
- 2018: Participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 in Lisbon[50]. Took 15th place.
The success of Alexander Rybak in Russia
In September 2009, Rybak became a participant in the Channel One talent show “Minute of Glory.”
In November of the same year, the singer took part in a concert dedicated to Police Day, where he performed his song “Fairy Tale” in Russian. In November, concerts of Alexander Rybak took place in Moscow, Samara, St. Petersburg, Rostov-on-Don and Yekaterinburg. On November 30, Alexander, together with Alexei Yagudin, participated in the presentation of the new symbols of the 2014 Winter Olympics, which took place on Red Square.
In December, Alexander Rybak took part in the Nobel concert in Oslo; he performed his song “Fairytale” arranged with a symphony orchestra. Then he participated in the Ukrainian “Star Factory”.
At the beginning of 2010, Alexander voiced the main character in the Norwegian cartoon How to Train Your Dragon.
On March 8, 2010, a concert by Alexander Rybak took place in the Estonian capital, Tallinn, in the Nokia concert hall. In June of the same year, his second album No Boundaries was released.
Alexander Rybak - Heavens of Europe In October 2010, Alexander performed at the Russian Romance music festival in Finland.
In 2011, the most significant events in Alexander’s life were the release of the new album Visa Vid Vindens Ängar in collaboration with Swedish authors, as well as participation in a vocal TV show in Kyiv and in a dance program on Stockholm television.
On June 19, 2012, Alexander took part in the “Fathers and Sons” project, which took place in the Dzintari concert hall in Latvia. Alexander’s father, Igor Rybak, and musicians Mikhail and Boris Kazinsky also participated in it.
Music
In the spring of 2009, the whole world watched as Alexander Rybak won the hearts of billions of viewers at the international Eurovision 2009 competition, where he sang and played his own song “Fairytale” on the violin.
The fisherman set an absolute record (387 points) in the history of the competition and became the winner. The singer himself soon said that the composition was dedicated to the musician’s former lover Ingrid.
Alexander Rybak's first album was released a month after Eurovision. Fans of the young artist lined up at music stores to purchase discs. The rapid growth in popularity made the unknown young man a superstar literally overnight.
The fateful year of 2009 did not end with the victory at Eurovision and the release of the album. Already in September, Alexander Rybak decided to take part in the popular show on Channel One - “Minute of Glory”.
The tour of Russia, which began in November, was a stunning success. Alexander Rybak managed to visit St. Petersburg, Moscow, Samara, Yekaterinburg and Rostov-on-Don. At the end of the month, an event was held at which the singer, together with the famous figure skater, presented the future symbols for the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi.
As a favorite and performer, Rybak came to the Ukrainian “Star Factory”, where he sang together with one of the project participants. In January 2010, Alexander Rybak was invited to voice the main character of the Norwegian cartoon How to Train Your Dragon. A few months later, residents of Tallinn could hear the artist perform live, the concert took place in the Nokia Hall, and the demand for tickets was overwhelming.
His latest studio album, “Christmas Tales,” was released in 2012, but this does not mean that the musician has stopped delighting fans with new songs.
At the same time, the musician composes new compositions both for himself and for other performers. In 2014, the Norwegian musician wrote "Still Here" for Malta's Eurovision entry Franklin Halley.
In 2020, together with Belarusian colleagues, the musician composed a song called “Accent”. The Belarusian group “Milki” performed this composition at the Belarusian republican stage of the selection for Eurovision, where they took fourth place.
In 2020, Rybak recorded a composition that quickly became a hit. His “Kitty” was distinguished by a light romantic meaning and repeated simple text. The song and video quickly gained many fans. In 2020, a video for the song “Ambrazame” was released.
In addition, the musician regularly appears on television, and the singer is welcome on Norwegian, Belarusian, and Russian television channels. In 2020, the musician took part in the transformation show “One to One!”, where he reached the finals and took second place. Rybak himself also became the object of parodies in this TV show.
Alexander Rybak and accusations of plagiarism
Alexander Rybak was repeatedly suspected of plagiarism. His song “Fairytale” is reminiscent of the song “Bit Pazari” by Turkish singer Huseyin Yalin, and the song “Abandoned” is similar to “Crane Song” by Kirill Molchanov.
Alexander Rybak’s videos become trends
For his song “I Don’t Believe in Miracles”, similar to “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” by Aerosmith, Alexander Rybak was even declared the winner of the “Silver Galosh” anti-award 2010.
New love
Alexander Rybak and Lena Mayer
In 2010, Rybak warmly supported the German singer, Eurovision 2010 winner Lena Mayer. The artists appeared together at rehearsals and spent a lot of time together. After winning the competition, the stars continued to communicate closely. Later, the lovers publicly declared their feelings. The couple even hinted at marriage. However, the marriage did not happen that way.
