Every spring, the Iceland Academy of the Arts awards a grant from Halldór Hansen's Scholarship Fund to outstanding music students at the school. This time Oliver Rähni received the piano performance award, which was awarded at a ceremony in Skriða, the LHÍ hall in Stakkahlíð yesterday.
Við þetta tækifæri ávarpaði Kristín Eysteinsdóttir, rektor, gesti og talaði um mikilvægi Styrktarsjóðs Halldórs Hansen, sem var stofnaður árið 2002 með gjöf Halldórs til Listaháskóla Íslands. Sjóðurinn hefur það hlutverk að varðveita tónlistarsafn hans og styðja framúrskarandi tónlistarnema árlega. Lýst er hversu miklu slíkur stuðningur getur skipt fyrir nám, listsköpun og faglega þróun ungs tónlistarfólks.
Although Halldór was a doctor by training, music was the great love of his life, especially of singing, and he supported Icelandic music life both through his interest and mentorship With the fund, he wanted to ensure that his passion for music lived on and was used by others. With the support of the fund, the reel is right forward and the future of music is shaped.
„We're going to allow this moment here today to be both solemn and warm.“ We're going to enjoy music but also learn and dwell on Halldór's legacy.“
Before proceeding further, the music was allowed to be played with an accordion duo composed of Igor Kabala and Matthías Kormáksson who are students at the Music Department.
They opened the event with the songs Milonga del angel by Astor Piazzola and Comastor by Frank Angelis.
Attention can also be drawn to a concert they will participate in with other world-famous accordion masters on April 18 in Salnum, Kópavogur.
Á ári hverju hafa erindi verið flutt á Tónlistardegi Halldórs Hansen og í ár var það Haukur Ingi Jónasson sem bar upp glærur og flutti erindi sem bar titilinn Raddir sálar og söngs- Áhugi Halldórs Hansen á sállækningum.
In Hauks Inga Jónasson's slide presentation, an effective picture of Halldór Hansen, a doctor, cultural lover and deep thinker who worked on the border between medicine, psychoanalysis and art, was drawn.
Halldór originally intended to devote himself to opera and theatre art in Paris, but the harsh events in his family changed his life course He became a pediatrician, working both in New York and in Iceland, and doing his work with great compassion and presence.
Music, especially opera, was never distant to him, however, In the presentation his life was placed in the context of the psychoanalytic theories of Sigmund Freud, Anna Freud, and Donald Winnicott, where music appeared as a means to the subconscious, the play area of emotions, and the space of true self.
Halldór was known to listen more than he spoke and gave many both professional and human comfort. He died in Reykjavík in the summer of 2003, but his legacy lives on in his relationship with art, music and the person himself.
After Hauk's talk, Pétur Jónasson, the dean of the music department, presented the selection of the fund's beneficiary this year. He also had a word about his acquaintance with Oliver a few years ago when he started his studies at the school and his career until this moment.
Oliver Rähni began piano studies at the age of 8 at Bolungarvík's Music School with Tuuli Rähni. During these academic years, he was chosen three times to perform in Eldborg in Harpa at the end of the Nota festival. There he received, among other things, a special recognition for an original work in excellent performance. Oliver completed his advanced degree in 2022 with the highest grade.
Since 2023, he has studied piano at the Iceland Academy of the Arts, under the guidance of Peter Máté and Edda Erlendsdóttir. Oliver has performed as a soloist both in Iceland and abroad, including in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Ireland, Poland and Spain. He has performed solo with orchestras such as Kyiv Soloists in Eldborg, Harpa, the Orchestra of the City of Pärnu and the Symphony Orchestra of the KRATT Music Festival in Estonia.
In the fall of 2025, he won 1st place in his age group at IX. EPTA's Piano Competition. Oliver has also appeared on both television and radio in Iceland.
Oliver aims for further music studies abroad, at the master's level.
Oliver Rähni's graduation concert will be held in Salnum, Kópavogur next April 26.
