Egill Ólafsson


Egill Ólafsson is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, and actor. He is married to the actress Tinna Gunnlaugsdóttir.
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Education

Egill Ólafsson studied playing guitar and piano when he was young and was part of a boys' brass band under the direction of Karl Otto Runólfsson.
While he was a student at Hamrahlid College from 1970 until 1974, Egill Ólafsson sang in the choir of the school Kór MH.
1970 he started to study at the Tónlistarskólinn. The disciplines he was studying were singing and composing. In 1976 Egill Ólafsson graduated at Tónlistarskólinn In Reykjavík.

Professional life

Among his compositions are music for choirs, brass band music and music for strings and trumpets. He has composed around 30 theatrical works. He composed for musicals Grettir, Eva Luna and Come Dance With Me, the latter having a run on off-Broadway in 1996. His works have been played by various ensembles like Spilverk þjóðanna, Stuðmenn, Hinn íslenski Þursaflokkur, Tríó Björns Thoroddsen, Blái hatturinn, Les Grand Tango and The Icelandic Sound Company. And just recently he's been working with the German group Strom & Wasser as a co-writer and musician. The product has been released by Traumton in Berlin, called "Reykjavik" .
He has landed many stage roles in Icelandic Theatre and film roles in Icelandic, German and Scandinavian films.
Under the mononym Egill he released a number of albums mainly with Stuðmenn / Spilverk þjóðanna labels.
He also co-wrote materials with Finnish artist Matti Kallio, a resident of Iceland.
Egill Olafsson also is a musical-performer. Several times he was performing leading characters in the Icelandic productions of different musicals at the Icelandic National Theatre, for instance Evita, Carmen negra, Three Penny Opera, Kiss me Kate and also in many of the plays he has written as composer.
He appeared as Javert in Vesalingarnir, the Icelandic adaptation of Les Misérables at the National Theatre, after having played the role of Jean Valjean in the same musical a quarter of a century earlier.
At Les Misérables: The Dream Cast in Concert on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the opening of the Original West End production of the musical Les Misérables Egill Ólafsson was performing as one of the Seventeen Valjeans at the second encore. It was filmed in October 1995 at the Royal Albert Hall and released on DVD, VHS and LaserDisc distributed by Sony Pictures and BBC Video.

Personal life

He is married to the actress and former artistic director at the National Theatre in Iceland Tinna Gunnlaugsdóttir. Their children are Ólafur Egilsson, actor, director and writer and Gunnlaugur Egilsson, ballet dancer and Ellen Erla Egilsdóttir.
Before the Icelandic loan guarantees referendum, 2010 Egill Ólafsson was one of the Icelandic celebrities, who spoke out to vote "no".
At the elections for the Icelandic parliament Althing in April 2013, Egill Ólafsson was a candidate of Lýðræðisvaktin.
In October 2013 his work was honored by FTT.
On 17 June 2015 his work was honored by the President of Iceland. Egill Ólafsson was awarded with the Falcon Order Medal.
In October 2022, it was revealed that Egill had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

Work

Discography

Albums

  • 1991: Tifa tifa
  • 1992: Blátt blátt
  • 2001: Angelus Novus / Nýr engill
  • 2003: Brot...Músík úr leikhúsinu
  • 2006: Miskunn dalfiska
  • 2007: Hymnalög
  • 2012: Vetur
  • 2013: Örlög mín
  • 2018: ''Fjall''

Singles

  • 2013: "Ekkert þras"

Compositions

  • The City Of Crooks 1976 The Theatre School Of Iceland
  • The Beginners 1977 The National Theatre of Iceland
  • Mr. Klemensson 1978 NT
  • The Cheery´s On The North - Mountain 1979 NT /Det Norske Teater
  • The Saga Of Grettir 1980 City Theatre in Iceland
  • Schocklate For Silja 1982 NT
  • Ich tanze mit dir NT 1987
  • The Steamship 1990 / The Theatre School Of Iceland
  • Platanov 1992 City Theatre in Reykjavík/Malmö Statsteater
  • Uncle Vanja 1992 City Theatre in Reykjavík
  • Eva Luna 1994 City Theatre in Reykjavík
  • Tears And Endearment 1995 NT
  • As You Like It 1996 NT
  • Come Dance With Me 1997 Cernucini Teatre
  • Mice And Man Loftkastalinn 1998
  • Anna Karenina NT 1999
  • Day Of Hope City Theatre in Reykjavík 2006
  • Four Jews On Parnassus Neue Nationalgalerie Berlin - 3 November 2008
  • Viva la Vida/Frida Kahló NT 2009
  • The Women Of The Parlament NT 2013