Fiddle Concert with 7-time Norwegian Champion Hamre and 2007 Young Folk Music Artist Maurseth

Northfield has the opportunity to experience two very special events -- a Master Class and free concert -- featuring traditional Norwegian music played on fiddles from the 17th and 18th centuries -- some of the oldest Norwegian fiddles in existence -- when Knut Hamre and Benedicte Maurseth present at St. Olaf College on Monday, April 13.

Their only other event in this country was Thursday in New York City. Maurseth will be on KYMN Radio 1080 AM at 7:30 a.m. on Monday morning to talk with host Jeff Johnson. Be sure to listen in!

The two Northfield events are:

• 2-4 p.m. - Master Class / Workshop at Urness Recital Hall, Christiansen Hall of Music. There is a charge of $25 cash for non-St. Olaf participants and $15 for auditors.
• 7 p.m. - Concert, "The Hardanger Fiddle: Noble Roots & New Beginnings" at Boe Memorial Chapel. Under the direction of Professor of Music Andrea Een, the Lars Skjervheim Spelemannslag of Northfield, Minnesota will play a short opening set of pieces from Vestlandet before the concert in Boe. Free admission.

Over the past few years, Hamre and Maurseth have charted new paths, investigating the connection between the oldest Norwegian Hardanger fiddles from the 1600s and 1700s and the instruments used in baroque music. Playing on the oldest fiddles in concert, they evoke a deep, warm tone by using gut strings and baroque bows.

These events will be of particular interest to any string players and those interested in traditional Scandinavian/Nordic music. For more information, there is a video of Maurseth speaking (in English) about this project and her work, available on YouTube.

The music that Hamre and Maurseth will present, mostly from Norway's west coast, is different from what most people think of as Hardanger fiddle music. On the west coast, the beats of the music are more even than in eastern Norway and the melodies are very lyrical.

Knut Hamre is one of Norway’s leading Hardanger fiddle players. He is an interpreter of the tradition from the Hardanger region, a rich source of well-preserved old tunes.

For the people of Northfield, there is a special connection to Hardanger. According to Hamre, his most important teacher was Anders Kjærland. Relatives of Kjærland live in Northfield.

Hamre has won first prize in the Norwegian national contest for traditional music, in the elite "Class A" for Hardanger fiddle, an impressive seven times. He was a member of the first folk music group in Hordaland Province, and served as official province musician from 1992 to 1994. He was involved in collecting material for the folk music archives of the Hardanger Museum of Cultural History from 1984 to 1993.

He is a highly respected teacher. His collaboration with Norwegian musicians Hallvard T. Bjørgum and Bjarne Herrefoss resulted in the record Toneflaum, which received a Spelemannspris (Norwegian Grammy) in 1998. In the USA. Hamre recorded the album Å (1998) with St. Paul musicians Mark Anderson and Steve Tibbetts.

Benedicte Maurseth was named Norway's 2007 Young Folk Musician of the Year. She performs both as a Hardanger fiddler and a singer/kvedar (traditional vocalist). The old tunes from Hardanger form an important part of her repertoire. These are often lyrical and complex, and many of them have been preserved in their original form.

Maurseth holds a degree from Norway's Ole Bull Academy. She learned to play the Hardanger fiddle mainly from Hamre, but also studied with Stein Versto of Telemark and Leif Rygg of Voss. In the past few years she has also studied with baroque musicians such as Bjarte Eike and Peter Spissky. She collaborates with a number of musicians who work in various genres, especially at the point of intersection of folk and baroque music, as well as with more improvised music and new music.

Don't miss this chance to hear these outstanding artists and experience the sound of the very special instruments that they will be using!