Early Swedish Folk

“Hedin & Meidell move beyond traditional interpretations, breathing fresh life into old music and making it feel strikingly contemporary.” LIRA magazine

“So musically in sync, it's almost provocative.” Västerbottens-Kuriren

Johan Hedin - nyckelharpa, Ida Meidell - baroque violin

Acclaimed for their distinctive sound and interpretation of early Swedish tradition, Hedin & Meidell create rich soundscapes with their combination of baroque violin and nyckelharpa. Their music is shaped by Ida’s background in diverse fiddle traditions and baroque, and by Johan’s skill accompanying and pushing the limits of the nyckelharpa. Experience their intricate and heartfelt revival of old tunes for new ears.

Johan Hedin and Ida Meidell Blylod first met during EBU’s live project Aurora Bachealis arranged by Stockholm Early Music Festival for REMA:s European Day of Early Music in 2015. Since their debut as a duo at the 2019 Korrö Festival, they have toured extensively across Sweden and beyond.

Ida Meidell Blylod is a folk musician and baroque violinist from northern Sweden, driven by a life-long passion for the diversity of the violin in folk tradition and early music. Ida brings depth and sensitivity to each individual performance. She has been touring the European folk and baroque scenes for the last decade, and is also a sought-after fiddle teacher at traditional music courses around Europe.

Johan Hedin is a world-touring nyckelharpa player from Småland in southern Sweden, who by his way of playing has been crucial to the development of the nyckelharpa scene of today. His musical curiosity is a guiding star that keeps leading him to new and exciting collaborations. Johan’s development of the nyckelharpa has opened up for new possibilities with the instrument, and provide the space for unique new music to arise.