– I sang songs from Emil in Lønneberget, says Alexander.

– Yes, there was a lot of Astrid Lindgren.

– A cappella and fiolin?

– Yes, And in the middle of the night, Ebba grins at the memory, and takes a breath.

Falling in love tends to take your breath away.

– This is unusual, I thought. This doesn’t happen every day, she says slowly.

Ebba Lejonclou was also in Lillehammer for this year’s Melodi Grand Prix final, but had to travel to Stockholm for work before Saturday’s final broadcast.

Photo: Private

There was no doubt that the dating would continue after this first meeting in the fall of 2022, even though Alexander went back to the US for an internship – praksisplass, in good Norwegian – in the wake of his music studies in Los Angeles.

But it was only after Alexander moved home from the US last fall that they really discovered that they wanted a future together.

– From then on, everything became definitive, says Ebba.

Today they have a base with residence in both Oslo and Stockholm, but the cabin in Ytre Enebakk is also a beloved place for both relaxation and work, because the cabin is not only a love nest for lovebirds, but also a studio and rehearsal space.

Alex says that he did not actively search for a cabin here, but was looking for two things: That the distance to Gardermoen was manageable, and that the ceiling in the study had the right angle.

– It’s because of the acoustics. I had the same thing in Los Angeles, he says.

Now it’s no longer just his cabin, but his and Ebba’s. As two high-profile artists on their own, but from now on more and more together, they feel ready to share their love story with others.

Photo: Mattis Sandblad / VG

– I think it’s great to be able to share with the world that we are connected, says Ebba.

– That we have found each other, Alexander adds.

– That we have found each other. But also how proud I am of our collaboration. We have a fantastic love relationship and private relationship, but also the professional relationship and what we try to create on stage in our duo concept that we believe in very strongly, is an incredibly nice part of this.

Alexander calls it “having a dream come true”.

– I have always dreamed of finding a person who is not only a classical musician, but who also understands my classical soul. Very often we just catch up on melodies and have such a common language, without saying a word. I would not have believed it. I almost gave up looking for such a partner several years ago, says Alexander.

– Me too! You don’t find that easily! That’s a huge plus.

Ebba tries to explain in more detail:

– It may sound like small, subtle things, but I’ve been like this ever since I was a little, little child – it runs through my veins and is a part of me that is so important. And all of a sudden you meet someone who has experienced exactly the same thing, from an early, early age. It’s an understanding of something that…

She pauses a bit, searching for the words.

– I’m almost a little moved… But it’s a stroke of luck! It’s not necessary to be happy, but sharing it with someone who feels the same way is a huge bonus.

Ever since Alexander Rybak moved back from the USA, he has expressed in several interviews his desire to take it easier, to become a family man.

All of this seems much closer now as he sits on the cabin sofa with his hand gently on his girlfriend’s shoulder.

– Ever since I published the children’s book “Trolle og den magiske fela” (2015), I’ve been thinking about being more of a backman, a family man with a quiet life. Or as quiet a life as possible on the outside, then, to have full focus on family.

I can’t be a father who travels away seven or eight times a month. I want to be present, I can’t be focused in a hundred different places. I feel like it’s perhaps the most important job in the world. And the most demanding, says Alexander and adds:

– If we have children, it is possible that they will also have an interest in whether they choose classical music or not.

– Do they have a choice?

– Absolutely! They should have a choice! Ebba states.

– Ebba, do you want children?

– Yes, I do, it comes without any hesitation.

– You too, Alex?

– Yes, absolutely. Before, I thought that maybe it wasn’t my thing, but then I clearly hadn’t met the right person, because now I am definitely thinking about a family.

Both have classical music in their DNA. Alexander’s parents are both musicians – his father is Alexander’s most important violin teacher – and Ebba also grew up in a home filled with classical music.

Both her parents and one brother are all French horn players.

Any future child will definitely grow up in a home filled with music, not least classical, both admit.

– Or maybe they become teenagers and run away from everything, jokes Ebba.

Both she and Alexander doubt that children will hinder their artistic creativity.

– If you are going to have a family and a family life, with less work trips and things like that, then I would probably also have been afraid to climb the walls and yearn for music, if I didn’t have a partner who could share it with me.

But now it infiltrates our private life so much from morning to night, that there is time for both, says Ebba, tilting her head and thinking:

– At the beginning, I think we thought a little about how we would manage to mix a romantic relationship with a professional? There are many couples who find that it may not go so well. But for us, it is the opposite, because one can also help the other in a way.

And the music, and what we do there, are such big parts of our personalities. But of course – after we’ve practiced and talked about work, we can also delete everything and just game or do completely different things.

Alexander Rybak had to see himself beaten by Jonas Lovv during this year’s MGP final, without it hurting his current mood too much.- I enjoyed myself, I did! Photo: Geir Olsen / NTB

Alexander and Ebba’s “duo show” has now been incorporated into the “Vår jul” concept together with Maria Arredondo and her husband, Torstein Sødal, as well as Christian Ingebrigtsen, Gaute Ormåsen and Frøydis Grorud.

– There is a different type of vibe in “Vår jul”, in larger halls and cultural centers such as Grieghallen and Oslo Konserthus. It will be fun, says Alexander.

– We wanted to do our thing, but how would we get it in? There are pop artists, but there is also jazz, gospel, pianist. And Alex who does both. And then an opera singer. So what should we do? Ebba adds, and answers herself:

– We can’t help but weave in a little humor. It will still be theatrical, and it will be a battle. And lots of humor and laughter!

Dad Igor Rybak is his son’s first and best teacher. Here he plays “Fairytale” on the hotel piano in Moscow in 2009, where his son eventually won. Photo: Simen Grytøyr / VG

The first time they tried out their concept was in 2023.

It didn’t quite turn out as expected, not everything.

Artistically, things are going smoothly when they test the concept at small concerts around Norway.

They experienced unpleasantness several times, they say.

Threats.

Police cars slowly patrolling outside the concert venues.

– It seemed as if someone wanted to put an end to us, both privately and professionally, says Ebba.

She crosses her arms, obviously still affected by the experience.

Photo: Mattis Sandblad / VG

– So, these were anonymous threats…, Alexander begins.

– In any case, someone was trying to take away the joy of what we do, Ebba interrupts.

– It felt very unnecessary.

Alexander himself shakes his head in despair. The experiences came during a period that was also otherwise very stressful for Rybak. At the same time, the conflict with the woman in the United States was in full swing.

He managed to complete his master’s thesis in film composition in Los Angeles, but describes the situation with the woman as so stressful that he wanted to move home.

On August 19 last year, the woman in her twenties was arrested by the FBI.

The trial against her was originally supposed to take place in October, but was postponed indefinitely.

Photo: Mattis Sandblad / VG

VG has been informed by the California prosecutor’s office that the trial has now been scheduled for May 19.

The indictment, which VG has access to, is based on the American stalker statute.

Under American law, she risks up to five years in prison if convicted.

The indictment states, among other things, that the woman sent 166 emails to Alexander between June 16, 2024 and June 4, 2025.

By then, the woman had already posted videos on SoMe, especially TikTok, where she in turn accused Rybak of harassing her.

VG has tried to get in touch with the woman via email, so far without receiving a response.

– We can probably say as much as this is part of the reason why there was a lot of back and forth between us for a few years, says Alexander and looks over at his girlfriend.

– No, it has been anything but easy. That much can be said.

– Is it possible to say anything about how you experienced it?

– No, it was a real shock. I have never experienced anything like it. Neither have you, for that matter, says Ebba.

Photo: Mattis Sandblad / VG

Instead, Alexander and Ebba turn a much more positive attention to each other and the future.

On the steps outside the cabin with a panoramic view, VG asks the most pressing question after an hour with a harmonious and in love couple.

– What about marriage?

Alexander grins wide as a fox.

– We are not married!