As part of the Art Walk Stoughton 2025 event, Livsreise will be hosting the Hardanger fiddle duo of Karen Rebholz  and Caitlin Sullivan between 10:00 AM and noon in the Livsreise lounge.

The Hardanger fiddle is the national instrument of Norway. Harkening back to its inception in the Baroque period, the fiddle itself is richly ornamented with shell, bone and ink and is played with asymmetric rhythms, multiple tunings, and non standard tones preserved by means of an unbroken aural chain. The Hardanger fiddle has four or five sympathetic strings which resonate with the four played strings throughout the music producing an ethereal sound.

Caitlin also sings and plays the Hardanger D’amour. Salve Håkedal, who is is a highly respected luthier from Birkeland, Norway, known for his traditional Hardanger fiddle craftsmanship was the inventor of the Hardanger d’amore. Five of the ten strings are bowed, while the remaining 5 string function as a resonant sympathetic strings. As in the case of the Hardanger fiddle, the sympathetic strings pass through half-way down the bridge and run underneath the fingerboard. The Hardanger d’amore, has a body that is broader and longer than a 4-string Setesdalsfele, a type of Hardanger fiddle. This is designed to create a richer, fatter sound and to allow it to be played comfortably alongside violins.

   Caitlin Sullivan (L) and Karen Rebholz (R)