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World-renowned Hardanger rocker Annbjorg Lien dazzles St. Olaf

By David Gonnerman '90
October 4, 2005

One of Norway's most accomplished musicians, fiddler and rock musician Annbjorg Lien, performed in a packed Urness Recital Hall on Oct. 3. Earlier the same day she conducted a Hardanger masterclass beginning. Both events were free and open to the public, with families especially encouraged to attend the recital. Lien's visit was sponsored by the St. Olaf Music and Norwegian departments, and by the Student Government Association.

LienLarge
Lien's upbeat stage presence matched with her surreal playing always make for a dynamic performance.
Lien is renowned for her work on the Hardanger fiddle, an ornate traditional instrument distinguished by the four or five strings that run underneath the fingerboard and add echoing overtones to the sound. The Hardanger has been called the national instrument of Norway. Lien also will play the nykelharpa, a traditional keyed fiddle that is called the national instrument of Sweden.

"This woman is the most successful crossover artist to fuse Hardanger fiddle with rock," says St. Olaf Associate Professor of Music Andrea Een, who teaches Hardanger at St. Olaf. And, adds Een, Lien is widely acclaimed for her stage presence and presentation.

Since Lien's beginnings playing traditional folk music -- she played the Hardanger during the closing ceremonies of the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway -- she has forged her own style by incorporating Middle Eastern, Irish and electronic influences. "I have been able to travel to different countries, learn about different traditions and just collect everything up in a bag and then turn it upside-down and use it in my own way," she explains.

Lien's CDs include the solo recordings Felefeber and Prisme, and Aliens Alive and Baba Yaga performed with the "Nordic Roots" group Bukkene Bruse.

Contact David Gonnerman at 507-786-3315 or gonnermd@stolaf.edu.