Leif Rygg (3 May 1940 – 4 February 2018) was a Norwegian
hardingfele
A Hardanger fiddle ( no, hardingfele) is a traditional stringed instrument considered to be the national instrument of Norway. In modern designs, this type of fiddle is very similar to the violin, though with eight or nine strings (rather than fo ...
fiddle player and folk music instructor.
Rygg was born in
Voss
Voss () is a municipality and a traditional district in Vestland county, Norway. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Vossevangen. Other villages include Bolstadøyri, Borstrondi, Evanger, Kvitheim, Mjølfjell, Opphe ...
and learned traditional fiddle playing from
Sigbjørn Bernhoft Osa
Sigbjørn Bernhoft Osa (3 May 1910 2 February 1990) was a Norwegian fiddler and traditional folk musician. He was one of the best known Norwegian performers of folk music in the 1900s.
Personal life
Osa was born in Ulvik, Hardanger as the son of ...
, Lars Skjervheim and Anders Kjerland. His albums include ''Nøringen'' from 1980 (jointly with
Knut Hamre
Knut Hamre (born 3 March 1952) is a Norwegian Hardanger fiddle
A Hardanger fiddle ( no, hardingfele) is a traditional stringed instrument considered to be the national instrument of Norway. In modern designs, this type of fiddle is very similar ...
), ''Bjølleslåtten'' from 1994, a collection of traditional tunes after
Ola Mosafinn
Ola Mosafinn (14 July 1828 – 28 December 1912) was a Norwegian Hardanger fiddle player and composer. Mosafinn is regarded among the more important fiddlers in Norway in the late 19th century.
Ola Sjursson was born in Voss in Hordaland Count ...
, in collaboration with
Knut Buen
Knut Buen (born 31 October 1948) is a Norwegian fiddler, composer, folklorist and publisher. He was born in Kongsberg; the son of folk musician Anders Buen and Margit Tjønn, and is brother of Hauk Buen, Agnes Buen Garnås and the artist Kari Bue ...
and
Kåre Nordstoga
Kåre Nordstoga (born 18 December 1954) is a Norwegian organist.
Nordstoga had his early studies under Harald Aune and Odd Jacob Unhammer in Notodden where he grew up. He went on to study at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo, where his tea ...
, and which was awarded
Spellemannprisen
Spellemannprisen, often referred to as the Norwegian Grammy Awards in English, is a Norwegian music award presented to Norwegian musicians. The award was established by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), an organizati ...
King's Medal of Merit
The King's Medal of Merit (Norwegian: ''Kongens fortjenstmedalje'') is a Norwegian award. It was instituted in 1908 to reward meritorious achievements in the fields of art, science, business, and public service. It is divided in two classes: gold ...
in gold in 2010.
He received the from ''Rådet for folkemusikk og folkedans'' for 2010.
He died on 4 February 2018.Leif Rygg /ref>