Alexander Rybak facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alexander Rybak
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Rybak in 2010
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Alexander Igorevich Rybak |
| Born | 13 May 1986 Minsk, Byelorussian SSR, Soviet Union (now Belarus) |
| Origin | Oslo, Norway |
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| Years active | 2004–present |
| Labels | Self-released |
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Alexander Rybak (born on May 13, 1986) is a talented musician and actor. He was born in Belarus but grew up in Norway. Alexander is known for his singing, songwriting, and playing the violin.
He became famous after winning the Eurovision Song Contest in 2009. His song, "Fairytale", was a huge hit. He has released five albums and performs in English, Russian, and Norwegian.
After his first two pop albums, Fairytales and No Boundaries, Alexander started focusing on music for families and children. He often performs with youth orchestras. He has also been involved in Eurovision many times, even representing Norway again in 2018.
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Early life and musical start
Alexander Rybak was born in Minsk, which was then part of the Soviet Union. His parents were both musicians. His father was a famous classical violinist. His mother was a music journalist and piano teacher.
When Alexander was five, his family moved to Norway. They settled in Nesodden and later became Norwegian citizens. He started playing the piano at age five. However, he soon chose the violin as his main instrument.
Alexander joined the Barratt Due Institute of Music in Oslo when he was 10. He later earned a Bachelor of Music degree in violin performance from the institute in 2012. He always loved to entertain people.
Music career highlights
Alexander's career began long before Eurovision. In 2004, he won the Anders Jahre Culture Prize in Spain. In 2005, he reached the semi-finals of Idol in Norway. The next year, he won a talent show called Kjempesjansen with his own song, "Foolin".
He has worked with famous artists like Morten Harket from a-ha. In 2007, he played the fiddle in a theater play called Fiddler on the Roof. He even won an award for his role in the play.
Winning Eurovision in 2009
Alexander Rybak won the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 in Moscow, Russia. He sang "Fairytale", a song he wrote himself. The song was inspired by traditional Norwegian folk music. He performed it with the Frikar dance group.
His song received amazing reviews. In the Norwegian national competition, he won by a huge margin. He then won the Eurovision final with a record-breaking 387 points. This was the highest score ever achieved under the voting system at that time. He was 23 years old, making him the youngest solo male winner.
After Eurovision success
After his big win, Alexander released his first album, Fairytales. He also appeared in the film Yohan: The Child Wanderer in 2010. He toured Norway and Europe, performing his hit songs.
In 2009, he performed "Fairytale" at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert. A film called Fairytale: The movie was also released, showing his journey after winning Eurovision. He also recorded a theme song for a Russian action movie.
New music and TV shows
In 2010, Alexander released new songs like "Europe's Skies" and "Fela Igjen". He also released his second album, No Boundaries. He made a music video for his single "Oah," which also had a Russian version called "Strela Amura."
In 2011, he joined the Swedish dancing show Let's Dance. He made it to the Top 4 before leaving the competition. He also released an album called Visa vid vindens ängar with Swedish artist Mats Paulson.
Collaborations and new songs
In 2012, Alexander released a new music video for "Strela Amura." He also released a duet called "I'll Show You" with Romanian singer Paula Seling. Paula Seling had placed third at Eurovision in 2010.
He released a new single called "Leave Me Alone" in October 2012. He also released a Christmas album called Christmas-tales. In 2013, he wrote a song for Norwegian singer Annsofi, which reached the final of the Norwegian Eurovision selection. He also released a music video called "5 to 7 Years" as a thank you to his fans.
Film music and Eurovision selections
In 2014, Alexander recorded a song called "Into a Fantasy" for the movie How to Train Your Dragon 2. This song was played during the closing credits in Europe and Russia. He sent the song to DreamWorks himself, and they loved it!
He also released a song with another Eurovision winner, Marija Šerifović, called "Gorka Hrabrost." Alexander wrote songs for other countries' Eurovision selections in 2015. He wrote "Still Here" for Malta and "Accent" for a girl band he formed in Belarus called MILKI. Both songs did well in their national finals.
In 2015, Alexander also took part in a Russian TV show called Odin v Odin!. On the show, he impersonated famous artists like Elvis Presley and Gloria Gaynor. He finished as the runner-up in the competition. He also released a popular Russian song called "Kotik."
Alexander also created a children's book with songs and an audio book called Trolle og den magiske fela. It was published in Norway and later in Denmark.
Eurovision appearances and new projects
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In 2016, Alexander was a jury member for Belgium's Eurovision selection. He also performed in the interval act for the Eurovision Song Contest 2016. He released a new single called "I Came To Love You." He also celebrated his ten-year anniversary as an artist by re-releasing old songs and holding concerts.
In 2017, he supported Salvador Sobral to win Eurovision. Salvador Sobral eventually won, breaking Alexander's 2009 record. Alexander released his own version of Salvador's winning song.
Returning to Eurovision in 2018
In 2018, Alexander decided to compete again in the Norwegian national selection, Melodi Grand Prix 2018. He wanted to represent Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 with his song "That's How You Write a Song".
He won the competition, surprising many people. He received a lot of votes from the public and international juries. He then performed in the second semi-final of Eurovision in Lisbon, Portugal. He won that semi-final, making him the first person to win two Eurovision semi-finals! In the final, he finished in fifteenth place.
Recent activities
In 2019, Alexander's children's musical Trolle og den magiske fela premiered in Kristiansand. The show was very popular and received great reviews. In 2020, he co-wrote a song for the Norwegian Eurovision selection called "Over the Sea," which reached the final.
Alexander was supposed to perform at Eurovision Song Contest 2020, but it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. His song "Fairytale" still remained very popular. In 2020, Norwegians voted "Fairytale" as their favorite Eurovision song of all time.
In August 2020, Alexander announced he was studying film music composition at Columbia College Chicago. He graduated in July 2022. He has continued to create music and perform.
Musical style
Alexander Rybak has a very diverse musical style. He writes folk music, children's songs, and even music for films. He also arranges music for symphony orchestras. He likes to release new songs and music videos on YouTube.
His voice is often described as a "tenore di grazia," which means it's light and clear. People often notice the strong, natural vibrato in his voice. His singing is known for being clear and full of sound.
Personal life
Alexander Rybak was raised in the Orthodox religion. He speaks Norwegian, Russian, and English fluently. He has also performed songs in Belarusian and Swedish.
He lived in Oslo, Norway, for many years. He later moved to Chicago to study film music. After graduating, he lived in Los Angeles for a while before moving back to Norway in 2024.
Discography
- Fairytales (2009)
- No Boundaries (2010)
- Visa vid vindens ängar (2011)
- Christmas Tales (2012)
- Trolle og den magiske fela (2015)
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
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| 2009 | Fairytale – The Movie | Himself | Documentary on Rybak after winning Eurovision |
| Some Sunny Night - Live in Lillesand | Ketil Moe | Musical | |
| 2010 | Yohan: The Child Wanderer | Levi | Film |
| How to Train Your Dragon | Hiccup | Animated film (voice, Norwegian dub) | |
| 2014 | How to Train Your Dragon 2 | ||
| 2019 | How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World | ||
| 2020 | Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga | Himself | Film |
Images for kids
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Rybak in 2010
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Rybak after he had won Eurovision 2009
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Rybak and a dancer from Frikar, at a concert in Norway, September 2009
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Rybak performing in 2011
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Rybak performing "Into a Fantasy" live during the opening of the Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk, Belarus in 2014.
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Rybak performing in the interval act of the Eurovision Song Contest 2016
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Rybak performing "That's How You Write A Song" at the final of Melodi Grand Prix 2018.
See also
In Spanish: Alexander Rybak para niños
