Work Samples

Audio:

Morning by Grieg

Ola was Tall

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Karen Torkelson Solgård plays the Norwegian hardingfele (Hardanger fiddle) in the traditional way, telling stories and singing songs connected to the fiddle tunes. She performs the familiar waltz, Reinlendar, and polka, and the lesser-known village dance music from deep in the mountains of Norway. Some listeners compare the constant drone of the hardingfele's sympathetic strings to bagpipes. The music is lively with fast moving rhythms, and foot tapping is an integral part of the tunes. The audience gets involved by singing, clapping, and dancing. Karen performs for festivals, school programs, and workshops, elderhostel classes, libraries, banquets, weddings, and concerts. Her CD "Norse Fiddle at Home" is available at http://www.cdbaby.com/solgard and "Norse Fiddle at the Wedding" is available at http://www.cdbaby.com/solgard2.

Available: Anytime; no mileage restrictions

Space: No special space or technical requirements

Fee: Negotiable

Additional Information: Karen Solgård plays the Norwegian hardingfele (Hardanger fiddle). Her performances include centuries-old dance tunes from the villages of Norway, as well as more recent gammeldans pieces that are popular in Norwegian American communities.

The Hardanger fiddle, often called the national instrument of Norway, is similar in shape to a violin. Its sound, however, is quite distinctive. The hardingfele has four or five additional strings that run beneath its fingerboard. When the fiddle is played, these strings echo and create a rich "drone" sound. These instruments are often elaborately decorated, with ornamental peg boxes in human or animal shapes, as well as detailed ink work and inlay. In Norway, the Hardanger fiddle has been enormously popular since at least the middle of the 18th century. In the United States, these instruments were played by many Norwegian immigrants and in the hands of committed players, the instrument is undergoing a revival. Karen Solgård hopes to reconnect younger Norwegian Americans with the hardingfele. In addition, she feels that because of historical connections with Baroque and Renaissance music, and because of the rising interest in world music, diverse audiences should have an interest in the hardingfele.

Karen has studied playing technique over the past 15 years by traveling to Norway, attending fiddle workshops in America with Norwegian master performers, and working from tapes and transcriptions. Through a Minnesota State Arts Board Apprenticeship grant, she studied the Vestland regional tradition with Andrea Een, a professor at St. Olaf College. Karen also was fortunate to study the Valdres tradition with Olav Hegge and the Telemark tradition with Vidar Lande, two Norwegian fiddlers who spent extensive time in the Twin Cities. Karen received a Jerome Foundation Travel Study grant to study with local master fiddler, Tarjei Romtveit of Vinje, Telemark, Norway, the community of her ancestors. She how has a repertoire of hundreds of tunes. Most of these are in the old traditional style of each local community, called bygdedans (village or community dance). These include springars (running dances), gangar (walking dances), and halling (a flashy male dance style). In addition, she performs bridal marches and wedding tunes, as well as the old-time styles such as vals, reinlender/schottische, polka, and mazurka, that are popular among Norwegian American audiences.

The Hardanger fiddle is a challenging instrument to play. Many Norwegian Americans treasure it as a symbol, but only a few have dedicated themselves to mastering this tradition. As a remedy, several years ago, Karen helped to start the Twin Cities Hardingfelelag (fiddler club), one of only two regional clubs in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to this instrument. She plays at many Norwegian American festivals and events, and at Scandinavian dances in the Twin Cities area. She also conducts workshops, performs in schools, and teaches Elderhostel classes. In her performances and classes, she tells stories and sings songs connected with the fiddle tunes, and encourages the audience to participate by singing, clapping, and dancing along with the music.

More audio samples can be found at: http://www.cdbaby.com/solgard and http://www.cdbaby.com/solgard2.