Biography
Annbjørg Lien has revitalized Norway’s longstanding fiddle traditions through her distinctive approach. Initially dividing her focus between classical training and Norwegian folk forms, she shifted entirely toward the country’s musical heritage and subsequently drew worldwide notice. Folk on Tap has praised her “sparkling style of playing and the rich tones of her hardanger and keyed fiddles, combined with her ability to write catching melodies.”
Although solo recordings and concerts have earned her recognition, Lien has pursued numerous collaborative ventures. These include work with South Africa’s Heshoo Beshoo, Ireland’s the Chieftains, and the Shetland Islands’ Catriona MacDonald. She also helped establish the trad rock ensemble Bukkene Bruse—rendered in English as the Billy Goats Gruff—alongside Arve Moen Bergset, Bjørn Ole Rasch, and Steinar Ofsdal; the group formed in 1987. Six years afterward, Bukkene Bruse served as the official ensemble for the 1994 Winter Olympics, traveling to Japan, Germany, Spain, and the United States before performing at the closing ceremonies in Lillehammer. That same year the band received Norway’s highest recording award, the Spelemannprisen, and has since acted as ambassadors for the Save the Children Foundation. In 1999 Lien and Rasch composed and recorded the score for the musical theater work Stalubursa.
Lien accumulated six Norwegian national titles in traditional music plus a national championship and a Nordic crown in dance music while immersed in music from childhood. Her father provided her initial fiddle instruction, after which she honed her technique through sessions with the nation’s foremost players.
She entered the professional sphere early, cutting her first record at twelve and appearing at fifteen on an NRK-TV national broadcast.
Although she performs on both the nyckelharpa and standard violin, the hardanger fiddle remains her signature instrument; shorter than a conventional fiddle, it features a flatter bridge and fingerboard and produces its distinctive tone when two strings sound simultaneously.
Her profile grew further through participation in Henry Kaiser and David Lindley’s 1994 celebration of Norwegian music, Sweet Sunny North.
Jazz musicians appeared on her 1989 debut solo album, Annbjørg, yet later releases have emphasized her traditional foundations. In a 1999 interview she characterized her sixth solo effort, Baba Yaga, as “almost like a concept album, almost like the old dramatic nature of the tunes back home.”
Lien and Catriona MacDonald have undertaken several joint projects, beginning with a 1994 duo tour of the United Kingdom. In January 2000 the pair joined Natalie MacMaster of Canada, Liz Carroll of the United States, Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh of Ireland, and Liz Noels of the United States for an extended tour.
Although solo recordings and concerts have earned her recognition, Lien has pursued numerous collaborative ventures. These include work with South Africa’s Heshoo Beshoo, Ireland’s the Chieftains, and the Shetland Islands’ Catriona MacDonald. She also helped establish the trad rock ensemble Bukkene Bruse—rendered in English as the Billy Goats Gruff—alongside Arve Moen Bergset, Bjørn Ole Rasch, and Steinar Ofsdal; the group formed in 1987. Six years afterward, Bukkene Bruse served as the official ensemble for the 1994 Winter Olympics, traveling to Japan, Germany, Spain, and the United States before performing at the closing ceremonies in Lillehammer. That same year the band received Norway’s highest recording award, the Spelemannprisen, and has since acted as ambassadors for the Save the Children Foundation. In 1999 Lien and Rasch composed and recorded the score for the musical theater work Stalubursa.
Lien accumulated six Norwegian national titles in traditional music plus a national championship and a Nordic crown in dance music while immersed in music from childhood. Her father provided her initial fiddle instruction, after which she honed her technique through sessions with the nation’s foremost players.
She entered the professional sphere early, cutting her first record at twelve and appearing at fifteen on an NRK-TV national broadcast.
Although she performs on both the nyckelharpa and standard violin, the hardanger fiddle remains her signature instrument; shorter than a conventional fiddle, it features a flatter bridge and fingerboard and produces its distinctive tone when two strings sound simultaneously.
Her profile grew further through participation in Henry Kaiser and David Lindley’s 1994 celebration of Norwegian music, Sweet Sunny North.
Jazz musicians appeared on her 1989 debut solo album, Annbjørg, yet later releases have emphasized her traditional foundations. In a 1999 interview she characterized her sixth solo effort, Baba Yaga, as “almost like a concept album, almost like the old dramatic nature of the tunes back home.”
Lien and Catriona MacDonald have undertaken several joint projects, beginning with a 1994 duo tour of the United Kingdom. In January 2000 the pair joined Natalie MacMaster of Canada, Liz Carroll of the United States, Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh of Ireland, and Liz Noels of the United States for an extended tour.
Albums
Drifting Like a Bird
2016
Khoom Loy
2012
Alle Vegne
2010
Come Home
2009
Heltane Fra Sørlandet
2009
Waltz With Me
2008
Prisme
1996
Felefeber
1994
Annbjørg
1989
Kjellstadslåttar
1988
Singles
