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  • Meet the Musicians
  • Blog
  • Per August Widmark
  • Per Selander
  • Ivar Andersson
  • Gumas Lars Larsson
  • Tång Anna Nelson
  • Hård Lars Larsson
  • Korp-Erik Olson
  • Axel Kjellberg
  • Anders Andersson
  • Edwin Johnson
  • Knute Stone
  • Anders Challman
  • Daniel Pettersson
  • Britta Skifstrom
  • Anna Larson
  • Erik Persson

Meet the Swedish Immigrant Musicians of the Upper Midwest

Click on the name of the musician to learn more!
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Per August Widmark  
Fiddler
Born: 1864.  Vingåker, Södermanland, Sweden 
Emigrated: 1887.  Settled in Minnesota: St. Paul, Ramsey County and Minerva in Clearwater County

Read more about Per August Widmark here 
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​Per Selander
​
Fiddle. Guitar, Piano
Born:   1871.  Bergsjö, Gävleborg, Sweden
Emigrated: 1899.  Settled in Minnesota:  Quamba, Kanabec County and Cambridge, Isanti County

Read more about Per Selander here 
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Ivar Andersson 
​Fiddle.  Button Box Accordion 
Born:  1899  Ulvaboda, Blekinge, Sweden
Emigrated: 1923  Settled in Minnesota: Aurora, St. Louis County.  Moved to Illinois around 1925  

Read more about Ivar Andersson here 
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Gumas Lars Larsson 
Fiddle
Born:  1855. Loka, Älvdalen, Dalarna, Sweden
Emigrated: 1900. Settled in Minnesota: Dalbo, Isanti County, MN 

Read more about Gumas Lars Larsson here ​
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Tång Anna Nelson
Fiddle 

Born:  1834  Överbyn, Högbo, Gävleborg, Sweden 
Emigrated: 1887. Settled in Minnesota:  Blue Hill, Sherburne, USA

Read more about Tång Anna Nelson here
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Hård Lars Larsson   
Fiddle
Born:  1822  Östermyckeläng, Älvdalen Sweden
Emigrated: 1886. Settled in Minnesota: Solway and Lammers in Beltrami County

Read more about Hård Lars Larsson here 
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Korp-Erik Olson.  
​Fiddle  

​Born:  1851.  Hassela, Nordanstigs, Hälsingland, Sweden
​Emigrated:  1908.  Settled in Minnesota: Wyanett, Isanti County.

Read more about Korp Erik Olson here 
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Edwin Johnson 
Fiddle and Nyckelharpa 

Born:  1905 December 6.  Rättvik, Dalarna, Sweden
Emigrated: 1924.  Settled in Minnesota:  Minneapolis, Hennepin County.  Also lived in Wisconsin:  Hayward, Sawyer County. 

Read more about Edwin Johnson here ​
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Axel Kjellberg 
​
Nyckelharpa (Kontrabasharpa)  
Born:  1871. Skäfthammar, Uppland Sweden. 
​Emigrated: 1891.  Lived in Miles, Porterfield, Marinette County, Wisconsin.  Also lived in Illinois and Michigan.

Read more about Axel Kjellberg here ​
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Anders Andersson  
Nyckelharpa 
Born:  1841. Börstil, Uppland, Sweden. 
Emigrated: 1907.   Settled in Minnesota: Sibley County.  

Read more about Anders Andersson here ​​
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Anders Challman 
Nyckelharpa  (Kontrabasharpa)
Born:  1871. Börstil, Uppland, Sweden. 
Emigrated: 1890.  Settled in Minnesota: Minneapolis, Hennepin County. 

Read more about Anders Challman here  ​​
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Knute Stone 
Nyckelharpa  (Silverbasharpa)
Born:   1886.  Österbybruk, Uppsala, Sweden
Emigrated: 1911.  Settled in South Dakota: Brookfield, McCook County.

Read more about Knut Stone here ​​
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Daniel Pettersson  
​Nyckelharpa 
  • Born:  1897, July 16, Film Sweden 
  • Emigrated: 1923, October 6.  Lived in Wisconsin ​

Read more about Daniel Petterson here 

​​
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Britta Skifstrom 
​Säckpipa
​​
Birth:  1842.  Dala-Järna, Sweden. 
​Emigrated 1868. Settled in Minnesota: Cokato, Wright and Koochiching County

Read more about Britta Skifström here ​​
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Anna Larson 
Säckpipa 
Birth:  1819, Dala-Järna, Sweden.
​Emigrated 1880.  Settled in Minnesota: Cokato, Wright County.

Read more about Anna Larson here ​
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Erik Persson 
​
Säckpipa ​
Birth: 1813.  Säfsnäs, Dalarna, Sweden.
​Emigrated 1868.   Settled in Iowa: Marcy Township, Boone County. 

Read more about Erik Persson here ​​​

Coming soon...

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Mats Walner
Singer of Traditional Folk Tunes    
Born:  1879. Mockfjärd, Dalarna, Sweden. 
Emigrated: 1890.   Settled in Lake Lillian Township, Kandiyohi County,  Minnesota
​​
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Charles Johnson 
Fiddle 

Born:  1892, Ålshult, Kronoberg, Sweden, Sweden 
Emigrated:  1910.  There are indications that this Charlie Johnson is "Charlie Wallbreaker" from Ivar Andersson's Memoir, "Berättarkungen"    Charlie played violin for many dances. ​
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Eric Olsson 
Fiddle 

Born:  May 22, 1889, Bingsjö, Dalarna, Sweden 
Emigrated:  1926.  There are indication he and his brother Jonas Olsson first settled in South Dakota before moving to Vancouver Washington ​
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Nylands Jonas Gotthard Olsson
Fiddle 
Born: April 16, 1899 in Bingsjö, Dalarna, Sweden 
Emigrated:  1926.  There are indication he and his brother Eric first settled in South Dakota before moving to Vancouver Washington  
​
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Nall Jon Erickson 
Fiddle 
Born:  Sweden 
Emigrated:  Lived in Minneapolis, Hennepin County Minnesota  ​
Email Nordic Newcomers
  • Home
  • Meet the Musicians
  • Blog
  • Per August Widmark
  • Per Selander
  • Ivar Andersson
  • Gumas Lars Larsson
  • Tång Anna Nelson
  • Hård Lars Larsson
  • Korp-Erik Olson
  • Axel Kjellberg
  • Anders Andersson
  • Edwin Johnson
  • Knute Stone
  • Anders Challman
  • Daniel Pettersson
  • Britta Skifstrom
  • Anna Larson
  • Erik Persson