Kári Egilsson (born March 14, 2002) is an Icelandic recording artist, songwriter, singer and keyboard player. Kári works in different genres, pop music, jazz and he is also a trained classical musician.[2]
Kári Egilsson | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Kári Egilsson |
| Also known as | Kári |
| Born | March 14, 2002 |
| Origin | Iceland |
| Genres | Pop, jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Songwriter, keyboard player, musician |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, piano, keyboards, guitar |
| Labels | Alda Music[1] |
Music studies
editKári started studying piano when he was 7 years old. From classical music he branched into jazz piano and improvisation at the age of 10, studying with Eyþór Gunnarsson, keyboardist from the band Mezzoforte.
Kári graduated in both classical and jazz piano from the Reykjavík College of Music in 2022. Kári has also been a student of Berklee College of Music.[3] In 2019 he was chosen to participate in The Berklee Global Jazz Institute at the Newport Jazz Festival under the tutelage of pianist Danilo Pérez.
Musical career
editKári started writing music at an early age. Despite his formal training, he soon developed an interest in pop music. He started recording his first album, Palm Trees in the Snow, in 2021. Two singles from the album have been released but the album itself will come out in March 2023.
Kári is working on a second pop album with producer Albert Finnbogason. He has also recorded a jazz album called Óróapúls with his own compositions which will be released in 2023.
Kári is the recipient of ASCAP's Desmond Child Anthem award,[4] given to young promising songwriters. At the award ceremony in 2018 he played his own composition for a full house in the Lincoln Center in New York.[5]
Kári writes his songs on piano or guitar. He does all his arrangements himself, vocal harmonies, horns and strings. He has also composed music for two five part television documentary programs, Siglufjörður, story of a town in 2019[6] and Bæir byggjast in 2022.[7]
Personal life
editKári's parents are TV presenter Egill Helgason and Sigurveig Káradóttir, who is a chef. He was brought up in the center of the Reykjavík old town.
Because of his studies, Kári has been going back and forth between Iceland and the United States. But his favorite country is Greece where he has spent summers since he was a baby.
Discography
edit- Something Better/Moonbeams, single October 28, 2022
- Sleepwalking/Untamed Horses, single January 27, 2023
- Palm Trees in the Snow, album March 10, 2023
References
edit- ^ "Artist". aldamusic.is. Alda Music. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
- ^ Hallgerður Kolbrún E. Jónsdóttir; Frosti Logason (March 29, 2021). ""Ég hef grætt mikið á því að spila alls konar tónlist"". visir.is. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
- ^ "Var valinn í hóp með þeim bestu". mbl.is. August 18, 2018. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
- ^ "Young Icelandic jazz pianist awarded the ASCAP Foundation Desmond Child Anthem Award in New York". desmondchild.com. December 16, 2018. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
- ^ Ragna Gestsdóttir (December 13, 2018). "Kári Egilsson hlýtur hvatningarverðlaun ASCAP". dv.is. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
- ^ "Siglufjörður – saga bæjar". ruv.is. RÚV. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
- ^ "Bæir byggjast". ruv.is. RÚV. Retrieved March 26, 2023.