AUDUN EKEN - Audun was born in 1976. He is working as a self employed logbuilder, woodcarver, and as a musician. He started playing the torader (2 row button accordion) at the age of 15, and got so fond of it that he started the folkmusic study in Fagernes in 92. He studied music for six years. He has held several seminars in torader all over the country, and also some abroad. Audun has been playing in many different bands and ensembles. Audun has been a jurymember in 5 Norwegian national championships in torader and gammeldans and two times in district championships. From 1995 - 97 he won 2 national championships and one nordic championship. He also won a national championship with Tom W. Rustad.

SYVER OLSTAD - Born in Lom, Gudbrandsdalen in 1967. He now lives in Trofors in Nordland. Syver started playing accordion at the age of ten. He also plays upright bass and guitar. He has been a member in several famous ensembles like: Bygdakvintetten, Edgar Heringstads, Påsans and Hilmars. Syver has held many seminars in gammeldans.He is also very fond of jazzmusic. Syver has participated in several competitions: 2nd place with Bygdakvintetten at the titanofestivalen, 1986. 1st place in the national accordion championship with a trøndersk gammeldans band in 1993. 1st place with Hilmars in the national accordion championship in 2003. He has been a jury member during the competition at titanofestivalen 2006. Syver has two recordings to his credit. First with Hilmars he made a cd in 2004, and then he made his own cd in 2006.

NILS TOVRUD - Nils is from Sigdal, Buskerud county, Norway. He plays the fiddle (and the Hardanger fiddle). He started in and is still joining the local “spelemannslag” in Sigdal, “Feleringen”. He has also participated in various other local folk music groups and been teacher at folk music courses. Nils has performed together with Audun for more than 10 years

....from NILS:  I started to play the fiddle at 12 yrs of age and I was inspired by my grandfather, who played and also was a co-founder of the local fiddle "lag", "feleringen" (fele is norwegian for fiddle, and they were probably sitting in a circle when playing..ring=circle). I was taught to play by members of "Feleringen", especially Karl Midtskogen. I started out with the local traditional music from Sigdal, Buskerud county, where I come from, but I soon caught interest in traditional music from other parts of Norway. Today, I like to play all kinds of folk music, but I certainly feel a special connection to the local music from Sigdal. Sigdal is one of few areas in Norway where "regular" fiddle and Hardanger fiddle has been played side by side, and some years ago I was lucky to get hold of a Hardanger fiddle owned by Truls Ørpen's descendants (Ørpen was one the the great Norwegian folk music collectors). I play the Hardanger fiddle, but my main instrument is the  "regular" fiddle..

TAKE A WORKSHOP FROM ONE OF THESE GREAT MUSICIANS ON JUNE 12 IN THE NISSWA AREA. CLICK HERE FOR INFO!!

©2009 Nisswa-stämman - All Rights Reserved