Toralf Louis Tollefsen (August 26, 1914 – November 27, 1994) was a

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe *Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway *Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including the ...

concert accordionist from

Fredrikstad Fredrikstad (; previously ''Frederiksstad''; literally "Fredrik's Town") is a city and municipality in Viken county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Fredrikstad. The city of Fredrikstad was founded in 15 ...

. Tollefsen was born in

Glemmen Glemmen is a parish and former municipality with the city of Fredrikstad, Østfold county, Norway. History The parish of ''Glemminge'' was established as a municipality 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). A part of Glemmen with 2,013 inhabi ...

and studied accordion with Ottar E. Akre. He built an international career for himself, performing in Europe, the United States, Australia, and South Africa. In 1947 he performed as a soloist with a symphony orchestra in the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

. He received the jury's honorary award in the 1977

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 ...

Awards, a prestigious Norwegian music award similar to the American

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

. Tollefsen died in Oslo.

Discography

* ''Verdensartisten Toralf Tollefsen'' (The World-Renowned Artist Toralf Tollefsen). Sjøholt: Norild Records, 1994. Recordings from 1934 to 1960 issued for Tollefsen's 80th birthday, August 26, 1994

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tollefsen, Toralf Norwegian accordionists 1914 births 1994 deaths 20th-century Norwegian male musicians Spellemannprisen winners Musicians from Fredrikstad