Artists » Friðrik Ómar Hjörleifsson » About artist
Friðrik Ómar Hjörleifsson
Friðrik Ómar Hjörleifsson
Fridrik Ómar was born in Akureyri, northern Iceland, on 4.october 1981. He is the youngest of his 3 siblings. Fridrik Ómar spent his first years living in a farm, Steinsstadir, with his parents and granparents. When there was time to go to school they moved to Akureyri. Few years later they moved to another small village in the north called Dalvík. There his music career really took off when his older brother gave him a drum kit when Fridrik Ómar was only 5 years old. His mother says that Fridrik Ómar started to sing even before he could talk…. His first appearance was in Dalvík in a schoolplay when he was 8 years of age. Fridrik Ómar played even piano and then wrote his first song on a gitar when he was 10 years old. In elimentary school he started a number of bands with his schoolmates. Fridrik Ómar was most of the times the owner of all the instruments the bands used.
By the age of 18, Fridrik Ómar had already released 2 solo albums. When the president of Iceland came to Dalvík for a visit then Fridrik Ómar was asked to sing with a help of the local choir for him. Fridrik Ómar participated in number of song- and singingcompetitions before he finally moved to Reykjavík in 2003 to work on his career. It didn’t take long until he got a role in the musical ‘Tribute to Motown’. Since then he as done many musicals, shows and concerts in ‘Broadway’ of Reykjavík where he got the chance to work with one of the most talented people in the branche. Fridrik Ómar has been the leading singer of number of his own smaller and bigger bands.
‘Ég skemmti mér’ is an album serie where Fridrik Ómar and his partner Gudrún Gunnarsdóttir represented popular old icelandic songs. All these albums were best selllers, reaching ‘gold’ sale in Iceland.
In 2006 Fridrik Ómar sang songs from the movie ‘War of the worlds’ by Tim Burton with the Iceland symphony orchestra.
The Eurovision song contest has greatly impacted Fridrik Ómars career as he has partipicated few times over the last years, both in Iceland and abroad in the ESC itself.In 2006 Fridrik Ómar sang ‘Thinking of you’ (Það sem verður) in the national ESC in Iceland and ended up in 3rd place. A year later he was the runner up with the song ‘Eldur’ (Fire). Finally in 2008 he and his partner Regína Ósk (forming the Euroband) were chosen to represent Iceland in Eurovison in Belgrade, Serbia, with the popular song ‘This is my life’. They went thru to the final and ended up in 14th place out of 42 countries.
Since this year Fridrik Ómar has been very popular by the Eurovision fans across Europe and been active in performing in number of events, parties, prides and shows. In 2009 Fridrik Ómar sang backing vocals for Yohanna in her song ‘Is it true’ in Moscow which ended in 2nd place in ESC. Later in 2009 Fridrik Ómar started a cooperation with the singer Jógvan Hansen by realesing ‘Vinalög’ an icelandic-faroese album which was the most sold album of the year 2009 in Iceland.
Later that year he joined the very beloved christmasconcert serie ‘Frostroses’ which is held every christmas across Iceland. 18 concerts were held with over 22.000 audience where Fridrik Ómar was one of the leading singers.
Early 2010 Fridrik Ómar tributed to Elvis Presleys’ 75 years of existence by doing an Elvis show. Ten sold out shows made him record and video tape the concert which will be available on CD and DVD for christmas 2010.
Fridrik Ómar has today recorded over 150 songs that have ended up on over 40 different albums.
Today Fridrik Ómar lives in Stockholm where he works with music and is currently working his next solo album which he plans to release in late 2011.
Other work and projects:
Tina Turner tribute (2006-2007)
War of the worlds with the Icelandic symphony (2006)
George Michael tribute (2007-2008)
Bo Halldorsson and the icelandic symphony orchestra (2006)
Ég skemmti mér concert series (2006-2007)
Bo Halldorsson christmas concerts (2007)
Vilhjálmur Vilhjálmsson concert tribute (2008,2010)
Eagles tribute in Borgarleikhus theater and Háskólabíó (2008, 2009)
“Grease” in Loftkastalinn theater (2009)
Reykjavík pride (2006-2010)
Stockholm Euro pride (2008)
Gothenburg pride festival (2009)
Backing vocals with Yohanna “Is it true” ESC (2009)
Frostroses Christmas tour (2009)
Elvis Tribute concerts (2010)
Frostroses christmas tour (2010)
Solo-concert at Göta Lejon, Stockholm (2011)