Born into a family of musicians, Icelandic pianist Vikingur Olafsson received his first piano lessons at age four from his mother and quickly took to the instrument. Vikingur entered the Reykjavik College of Music in his early teens and graduated with a Soloist Diploma in 2001. That year marked his debut with The Iceland Symphony Orchestra, with which he has since appeared annually. Vikingur has made solo appearances with all the major orchestras and ensembles of his country and made his conducting debut directing Mozart's Piano Concerto k. 503 from the keyboard at The Reykjavik Art Festival in 2006.

A dedicated performer of new music, Vikingur aims to commission at least one major work every season. In 2006 he gave the world premiere of Snorri Birgisson's acclaimed Piano Concerto no 2 with The Caput Ensemble at The Nordic Music Days Festival, in 2007 he premiered Ólafur Axelsson's inspired Piano Suite and for the 2008-9 he has commissioned two piano concertos from leading Icelandic composers Haukur Tómasson and Daníel Bjarnason.

In 2006 Vikingur was named 'Performer of the Year' at The Icelandic Music Awards, becoming the youngest recipient ever to win the prize. Other honors include The American-Scandinavian Society Cultural Grant, The Birgir Einarsson Memorial Award, The Rotary Foundation Cultural Prize, VISA Iceland Cultural Prize and The Icelandic Music Award's Brightest Prospect 2004 prize. In December 2003, Vikingur was chosen by the Mayor of Reykjavík to receive the Gunnar Thoroddsen Memorial Award for his accomplishments.

The 2007-8 season includes concerto performances in Iceland (Rachmaninoff's 3rd Piano Concerto), Romania and Latvia (Snorri Birgisson's Piano Concerto no. 2). On April 3^rd he will give the US premiere of Birgisson’s Piano Concerto with The New Juilliard Ensemble, conducted by Joel Sachs. In October, Vikingur was invited to perform at the meeting of Icelandic Prime Minister Geir Haarde and the Italian Minister for International Trade Emma Bonino in Rome. In June he will represent Iceland at the Bozar Arts in Brussel as well as giving numerous solo and chamber music performances in his home country.

Vikingur is currently in his sixth and last year at The Juilliard School where earned his Bachelor of Music degree as a student of Jerome Lowenthal. His chamber music teachers have included Julian Martin, Seymour Lipkin, Jacob Lateiner and Timothy Eddy. He is currently working towards his Master's degree in the class of Robert McDonald.