Norwegian Folk Music Instrumental Workshops
One of Norway's best known traditional music bands, KVARTS (Norwegian for "quartz"), will be visiting Northfield March 28-30 and there will be three events in town.
KVARTS has twice won the Spellemannspris — Norway's version of the "Grammy" — and their recordings and performances have won high critical praise.
Instrumental workshops in traditional Norwegian music led by Jo Asgeir Lie and Tom Willy Rustad of KVARTS will be on Sunday, March 29 in downtown Northfield.
The sessions will be from 2-4 p.m. with an "allspel" (session where all participants play the tunes learned together) from 4-5 p.m. Cost for the workshop and allspel is $20/per person. The workshops are being co-sponsored by The Contented Cow and the Northfield Arts Guild.
Workshops and teachers for the Northfield workshops will be:
- Accordion: Jo Asgeir Lie of KVARTS
- Torader G/C (Two-row diatonic accordion in G/C): Tom Willy Rustad of KVARTS
- Regular (Flat) Fiddle: Andrea Een, professor of music at St. Olaf College
- Guitar for gammeldans: Jon Thore Bjork of Multe
Lie (accordion) is from Ål, Norway where he is the principal of the Ål Music School for Children. He has performed numerous times both as a soloist and with other performers. He has also performed on many CD recordings. In addition to performing, Lie composes and arranges music for other groups and soloists.
Rustad (bass, two-row diatonic accordion, guitar, jaw harp, willow flute) is from Sør-Fron, Gudbrandsdal. He is head of the department of traditional music at the Norwegian Academy of Music. He plays guitar, diatonic accordion, contrabass, jaw harp and willow flute. He has won a number of international awards for his performance and has been nominated three times for the Spellemannspris, winning with the KVARTS recording, Steinsprang. In 2003 one his pupils, Mona Holm, won the World Championship for diatonic accordion in Tyrol. He has written two books about how to play the diatonic accordion.
Een is a member of the St. Olaf College music faculty and is the only professor of traditional Norwegian fiddle in North America. She is recognized in Norway for her skill as a player and her research into Norwegian fiddle traditions and has been knighted by the Norwegian king for her work.
Bjork is one of the few guitarists in the Upper Midwest who has studied Norwegian traditional gammeldans guitar methods and has traveled to Norway to attend the Norwegian national folk music competition. Having played rock, reggae and blues guitar for four decades, he has devoted the past four years to focusing on traditional Norwegian guitar and accordion styles.
Space is limited and participants will be accepted on a space available basis. To reserve a place in any of the workshops or for more information, contact Multe Music. Please indicate the instrument you plan to bring. Registration will be at The Contented Cow on the day of the workshops.
Light food and beverages will be available for purchase at The Contented Cow during and after the Northfield workshops.
Lie and Rustad will perform at The Contented Cow on Saturday, March 28 and a old-time community dance with all four members of KVARTS will be at the Northfield Eagles Club on Monday night, March 30.
Want a preview? Check out the YouTube video of KVARTS.
For more information and the complete schedule, see the Multe Music web site.
