Friday 11th 4pm — Sunday 13th September 4pm, 2026
The course officially finishes at 4pm on the Sunday – but usually around 3/4 of us stay on until the Monday (extra fee). We get dinner and breakfast.
There is no total beginner course planned – but continuing learners from the March course are welcome.
Once you’ve booked get in touch to let me know! I get in touch with everyone as soon as I am notified, but I am not automatically notified when people sign up. We have a WhatsApp group and I always make a resources page. If you’ve changed your email address – make sure you get in touch so I can update my records and not send emails to the wrong place!
Magnus Holmström
Three time world champion nyckelharpa player. Rikspelman and the boss at the Eric Sahlström Institute. The loudest player in the known universe. Imagine the loudest nyckelharpa in the world and double it. Rumour has it that Magnus eats surströmming for breakfast.
All round amazing guy, brilliant teacher and we can’t wait to have him back at Halsway!
(When Magnus sends a better biog it’ll be added in here!)
Rasmus Hemström
Rasmus is one of the bright new rising stars on the nyckelharpa scene. With his brilliant and dance-driven nyckelharpa playing, rooted in Swedish, and especially the Uppland music tradition, he is currently active as a solo musican and with the band Dragkroka. In April 2025, Dragkroka released their debut EP, SMÄCK!, and has just completed their first international tour in New Zealand. Rasmus is also educated at Royal College of Music in Stockholm. In this workshop you can expect to learn some of Rasmus’s favorite Swedish tunes. We will explore technical aspects such as rhythm and groove, producing good tone and using the instrument to its fullest potential, as well as nyckelharpa playing technique in general.
Vicki Swan
Vicki studied at the Royal College of Music on the double bass. She also plays the various types of bagpipes, flute, recorder, piano and nyckelharpa. On leaving music college Vicki started down the long path of folk music and was only seen on rare glimpses back in classical orchestras. You’ll find Vicki now inhabiting the troll ridden forests on the hunt for new and exciting tunes from the näcken. Vicki plays not only the standard 3-row modern chromatic, but also the 1408 sienaharpa, the 1526 moraharpa, the 1700s kontrabasharpa and the 1800s silverbasharpa. World Nyckelharpa Day is run by Vicki.
Seeing as this is Vicki’s website we don’t really need a link, but here is one to Vicki Swan & Jonny Dyer:
http://www.swan-dyer.co.uk