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Teachers and Performers

The following is a list of Hardanger fiddle teachers, performers and spelemannslag (fiddling groups) interested in coming into contact with potential students, fellow musicians, workshop and concert organizers, dance groups, and others. The players listed are HFAA members variously experienced in teaching, performing, and playing for dance, among many other things. The list is for public use, with the intention of providing a resource with which to contact players and groups who are interested in sharing their music and their experience.

If you are an HFAA member interested in being included on this list, please contact Laura Ellestad: mayonaise91 (at) hotmail (dot) com. To join the HFAA, visit our Membership page.

Disclaimer: The information in this listing has been volunteered by members of the HFAA. The HFAA has not ranked, endorsed, or otherwise vouched for the information provided. This listing is provided for information only.


MID-ATLANTIC U.S.

Loretta Kelley
Takoma Park, MD (Washington, DC area)
Contact: 301-270-4925, lorettakelley (at) fanitull (dot) org
www.fanitull.org

Loretta Kelley has performed and taught hardingfele for over 20 years both in the US and Norway. Her particular expertise is Telemark springar and gangar, but she plays and teaches all hardingfele traditions. She gives private and group lessons and plays for dances, weddings, concerts and many other types of events.

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MIDWESTERN U.S.

Karin Loberg Code
Kalamazoo, MI
Contact: 269-323-3003, lobergcode (at) gmail (dot) com
homepages.wmich.edu/~code/karin

Karin Loberg Code is a violin and viola teacher/performer in Kalamazoo. She has studied the Hardanger fiddle for twenty years and lived in Norway for two years, performing for various dance groups and concerts in Oslo. In the US, Karin has been on staff at Nordic Fiddles and Feet, Scandia Camp Mendocino, Springdans Northwest and HFAA annual workshops. She focuses her efforts on the music and dance of Valdres and Hallingdal, but has also studied styles from other districts in Norway.



Inna Larsen
Madison, WI
Contact: 608-236-0468, ivlarsen (at) wisc (dot) edu
http://jeffinnakari.weebly.com

Inna Larsen has played violin since 1980 and the Hardanger fiddle since 1993, studying with Norwegian and American teachers at the HFAA annual workshop. Her repertoire consists of tunes from all over Norway, and she performs at various Scandinavian events in Madison and Southern Wisconsin. Since 2000, Inna has taught several beginning students the fundamentals of Hardanger fiddle playing and founded Fykerud’n Spelemannslag, a group that meets monthly. Her goal is to have an active Hardanger fiddler presence in the Madison area.



Julane Lund
Mooresville, Indiana
Contact 317-831-1147, julanelund (at) hotmail (dot) com
www.julanefiddle.com

Julane Lund has played Norwegian-American fiddle music from her youth, having learned from her grandfather, and she has a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree in traditional fiddling from Telemark University College (Rauland campus), in Norway. Julane plays bygdedans from Setesdal and Telemark on the Hardanger fiddle, and she also plays music from various areas of Norway on the conventional violin (many tunes are from Trøndelag). Her expertise is in Norwegian-American old-time fiddling, of which both the conventional fiddle and Hardanger fiddle have been used. Besides fiddling, she often sing songs in Norwegian at my concerts. Julane is interested in striking up collaborative musical projects with musicians who play Scandinavian and Scandinavian-American music.


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NORTH-EASTERN U.S.

Laurie Hart
Ithaca, NY
Contact 607-277-6201, laurie (at) lauriehartfiddle (dot) com
www.lauriehartfiddle.com

Laurie Hart teaches Hardanger fiddle and regular fiddle in private lessons and classes, with a focus on Norwegian or Swedish music. She has been on staff, teaching these traditions and playing for dance classes, at the Ashokan Northern Week and the Dance Flurry events in New York. Laurie plays Hardanger fiddle for dancing a variety of Norwegian gammaldans and bygdedans traditions, especially Telemark and Vestland tunes, but some Valdres, Setesdal and Hallingdal tunes as well.



Petra Kirstein
Brooklyn, NY
Contact pitonthemoon (at) hotmail (dot) com
www.scandiany.org

Petra Kirstein has been playing the Hardanger fiddle since 2003, and she loves to play for dancing! Petra plays a set each week for the Scandia New York dance in Manhattan. She plays dances from Telemark, Hallingdal and Valdres. Petra also enjoys playing for weddings or any other kind of party.


Dan Trueman
Princeton, NJ
Contact 609-252-9717, dtrueman (at) princeton (dot) edu
music.princeton.edu/~dan

Dan Trueman plays primarily Telemark style and has learned tunes from Hauk Buen, Per Anders Buen Garnås, Vidar Lande, Loretta Kelley, and others. Dan teaches music composition at Princeton University and has taught Hardanger fiddle classes at the HFAA annual workshops.


Toby Weinberg
Syracuse, NY
Contact 315-478-1790, tobyweinberg (at) hotmail (dot) com

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SOUTHERN U.S.

Laurel Lawshae
Austin, TX
Contact 512-294-3821, kingbutler (at) yahoo (dot) com

www.austinscandi.org

Laurel Lawshae is a professional violinist. She received the Bernt Balchen Jr. Scholarship in 2010 to study Hardanger fiddle at the HFAA Workshops in WI. She regularly plays Hardanger fiddle for the Austin Scandinavian Dancers. Laurel plays a variety of Norwegian dances on the Hardanger fiddle. She is interested in playing for dancing and other events and connecting with other fiddlers and dancers.

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WESTERN U.S.
Bill Boyd
Seattle, WA
Contact: 206-784-4783, hfele (at) aol (dot) com
www.facebook.com/william.boyd
 
Began to play hardingfele in 1983, and joined HFAA that year. Play regularly in the Seattle area for the Seattle Norwegian dance group Leikarringen, for public dances, and for other occasions ranging from weddings to public events. Have had multiple opportunities over the years to learn from Norwegian fiddlers, including at the HFAA sponsored summer meetings. Also play fiddle and keyboards with the Seattle Scandinavian group Hale Bill and the Bopps (www.myspace.com/halebillandthebopps ).
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CANADA

Laura Ellestad
Calgary, Alberta
Contact mayonaise91 (at) hotmail (dot) com

Laura Ellestad plays bygdedans tunes from the Hardanger fiddle tradition from Valdres, and she also plays some tunes from other areas such as Voss, Hardanger, Hallingdal and Telemark. Laura has studied the Hardanger fiddle independently in Norway, mainly with Tore Bolstad, and also with Henning Andersen, Trygve Bolstad, Leif Rygg, Håkon Asheim, Arne Anderdal, and others. She has taught Hardanger fiddle at the annual Scandinavian Folk Music and Dance workshop in Calgary, Alberta. Laura greatly enjoys playing for dancing, and she is also interested in participating in concerts and workshops, as well as in collaborating with other musicians.

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last updated: October 2010