«At its best the duo sounds refreshingly good, and manages to give a new dimension to the melodies» – Bjørn Aksdal, Bladet Folkemusikk

«The musicians balance the different styles and traditions well, and demonstrate possibilities for different kinds of interplay leading the way forward. LIRA loves On the Water» - Gunder Wåhlberg, LIRA

Laura Ellestad – hardanger fiddles Magnus Wiik – banjo, guitar, fiddle

Ellestad Wiik Duo is an award-winning Hardanger fiddle and guitar/banjo duo based in Norway. The duo began playing together in 2012 and released their debut album, On the Water, to critical acclaim in 2016. They have toured extensively in Norway, appearing at many of the major folk music venues, as well as in Denmark and Canada (Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan).

The duo plays music from both sides of the Atlantic, modifying American old-time and French Canadian tunes to fit on the Hardanger fiddle, as well as digging deep into obscure Norwegian dance tunes. With their great love for many traditions, the duo serves up a variety of tunes that will keep the listener mesmerized.

LAURA ELLESTAD's debut solo album, Valdresspel i Amerika, was released on ta:lik in 2014, and was nominated for a Norwegian Grammy Award (Spellemannprisen) as well as a Norwegian Folk Music Award (Folkemusikkprisen). Laura grew up in Calgary, Canada, and has family roots in the Valdres district in Norway. She has studied with some of the foremost Hardanger fiddle players in Norway, and is the only Hardanger fiddle player outside of Scandinavia to qualify for the elite A class at Landskappleiken (Norway’s annual national folk music competition). She is an alumni of the Ole Bull Academy as well as the Norwegian Academy of Music, where she is currently working on a PhD studying Norwegian-American folk music traditions.

MAGNUS WIIK studied a variety of string instruments in the prestigious jazz programs at NTNUin Trondheim and the Norwegian Academy of Music, and fell in love with folk music in the early 2000s. He has taken numerous trips to the US and Ireland, and has collaborated with many renowned musicians, including Gerry O’Connor, Jake Jolliff, and David McLaughlin. He has also performed at several of the leading Irish and American folk music festivals, such as IBMA, Celtic Connections, and Musiquat in Tunisia. As a band leader, Magnus has released eight albums to critical acclaim, and has performed on a host of other recordings. In 2015 he was awarded the Geir Digernes Memorial Prize for his work as a musician.

(photo: Tore Sandbakken)