2016 Workshop Staff

JOHANNE FLOTTORP (Advanced hardingfele) began playing hardingfele as a six-year-old, and regularly visited the Tovdal hardingfele tradition-bearer Salve Austenå at his home in Åmli, Aust-Agder. From him she learned a large number of tunes from throughout Aust-Agder, including Setesdal. Afterwards Johanne continued to focus her hardingfele studies on the rich and varied musical traditions of this area. In addition to studying folk music at The Norwegian Music Academy (NMH) in Oslo, she is active as a soloist in many groups, including Raabygg (with Tuva Færden and Sigrid Kjetilsdotter Jore), performing the traditional music of Agder. In addition, she plays hardingfele in the country bands The Northern Belle and Ruby Red & The Moonshine Brothers.

VIDAR SKREDE (Intermediate hardingfele), from Haugesund on Norway's west coast is a freelance Nordic folk musician on hardingfele, guitar, fiddle and bouzouki. He has a background the traditional music from Rogaland in Norway's southwest, and has a master's degree in Nordic folk music at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm. Vidar has appeared on national television in Norway and Iceland, and been heard on radio in all the Nordic countries and in the USA, which includes two live radio concerts at NRK P2 in Studio 19.

KARIN CODE (Intermediate hardingfele), A professionally-trained violist, Karin began intense study of the hardingfele in 1990. Named one of a America’s "foremost hardingfele fiddlers" in the Norwegian journal Folkemusikk, Karin has spent extended time in Norway. On her most recent stay in Oslo in 2014, Karin was invited to lead performances of two spelemannslags, teach at regional folk workshops, and play for various weekly dance groups and special events. She is a respected dance fiddler both in the US and in Norway and focuses her style in the Valdres and Hallingdal traditions. She has been on staff at many prominent folk camps and has been a featured artist at traditional music venues including Great Lakes Folk Festival, Ten Pound Fiddle and Lawrence University’s World Music Series. Back at home in Michigan Karin teaches strings and freelances.

REBECCA LOFFT (Beginning hardingfele), from San Diego, California, began studying classical violin and viola at an early age. As a young teen, her Norwegian heritage led her to hardingfele workshops in the U.S. She graduated from St. Olaf College with a B.A. in Norwegian and English and a focus on classical viola and hardingfele. In 2008 Rebecca studied hardingfele on a Fulbright grant at University College in Rauland (Høgskolen i Telemark) and received her Master’s degree in Traditional Arts on hardingfele. Her thesis project explored the relationship between Hallingdal and Valdres fiddle tunes. She currently resides in Torpo, Hallingdal and teaches violin and hardingfele at the Kulturskule in Ål. Rebecca plays with spelemannslag Hallingdal Låtelag.

As a singer, Sigrid Kjetilsdotter Jore has distinguished herself from young age specializing in the strong cultural traditions from her own region. She has learned from Kirsten Bråten Berg and Berit Opheim, as well as from many of the tradition bearers in her local region. She has competed in local, regional and national competitions in Norwegian folk music since the age of five. In 2012 she advanced to the elite A class in vocal folk music.