Renee Vaughan plays traditional Scandinavian music on the nyckelharpa, an instrument dating back to medieval times in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland. In 2022, she received a fellowship from the American Scandinavian Foundation to study with master nyckelharpist Cajsa Ekstav. In 2024, Renee was Musician-in-Residence at UW-Madison’s Nordic Folklife Department, where she shared Scandinavian folk music and storytelling. During her residency, she researched first-generation Swedish immigrant musicians, creating the online collection Nordic Newcomers, and initiated a collection of Upper Midwest Scandinavian Allspel tunes to support learning and preservation. She has performed at the American Swedish Institute, Norsk Høstfest, and the Minnesota Orchestra’s Nordic Soundscapes Festival. A versatile collaborator, she is involved in a range of musical projects, including intercultural and intergenerational ensembles, educational presentations, storytelling performances, and workshops focused on Scandinavian folk music.
Coming Up!
MN Orchestra Nordic Soundscapes 1-17-25 Opening for SkyeConsort, 1-31-25 Opening for FRIGG!! 2-28-25