Ari Ólafsson
Ari Ólafsson will represent Iceland at the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Our Choice'.? Download or stream this song via your favourite platform.
Ari Ólafsson is a 19 year old Icelandic classically trained singer. He started singing at a very early age and his angelic voice and stage charm soon landed him lead roles in musicals at the National Theatre of Iceland. Amongst other musicals, he played a part in Oliver, a musical directed by Selma Björnsdóttir who came second in the 1999 Eurovision Song Contest with the song All Out Of Luck.
Ari competed in The Voice of Iceland in 2015 and was a backing vocalist in the national selection Söngvakeppnin last year. He has also performed with bands at concerts with well known Icelandic singers. He has been accepted into the Royal Academy of music in London wth a full scholarship where he will continue his singing studies in autumn.
Ari has always been a big fan of Eurovision and dreamt of representing Iceland in the competition from an early age. He sings all kinds of music from classical to pop, rock and funk, and one of his favourite artists is Stevie Wonder. Ari is also a prolific impersonator and known to be able to master different accents and languages and loves to improvise both in the theatre and music.
About the song writers and composers
Thorunn Clausen is an Icelandic actress, singer, song writer and director who studied acting in London and singing and vocal coaching in Copenhagen. She has appeared in numerous plays, musicals, films and TV shows in Iceland and the USA and recently starred in the highly acclaimed American comedy show Documentary Now, which stars among others Helen Mirren, Jack Black and Fred Armisen.
Thorunn studied music and piano from a young age and is a prolific lyricist, having written her own lyrics as well as for other artists like her late husband songwriter and singer Sjonni Brink. Together Sjonni and Thorunn wrote the Icelandic Eurovision entry in 2011. When Sigurjon ‘Sjonni’ Brink sadly and unexpectedly died before the 2011 competition, Thorunn and Sjonni's friends got together agreed that they would carry on and perform Coming Home in his memory. Thorunn has written lyrics for several Söngvakeppnin entries since 2011.
