Eden Ehm
Violin & Hardingfele
Violin
Eden maintains an active and diverse career as an orchestral and chamber musician.
A classically trained violinist since the age of five, Eden spent her childhood accumulating numerous honors and awards throughout her school years. She continued her violin studies at St. Olaf College where she was a member of the world-renowned St. Olaf Orchestra. Eden was concertmaster of the Oneota Valley Community Orchestra for the ensemble's first three formative years.
Eden loves performing with others and maintains an active career as a professional orchestral and chamber musician. She is currently a member of the LaCrosse Symphony Orchestra violin section and is a frequent substitute for other regional ensembles in the tri-state area of Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
Her string quartet, The Rhapsody String Quartet, can be found performing everything from Beethoven to The Beatles and Tchaikovsky to Taylor Swift at weddings, parties, corporate events, and public performances.
Eden is passionate about making classical music fun, funky, and accessible to all; for example, by providing live music for yoga classes and performing in other unique settings. As someone who never studied music formally in school and has a nonmusical corporate career, Eden aims to show young musicians that you can continue to have a fulfilling and successful musical life as an adult regardless of your educational and professional pursuits.
Eden plays on a modern Italian violin made in 1907 by Romeo Antionazzi in Milan, Italy.
© Erika Skogg erikaskogg.com
Hardanger
Fiddle
The national folk instrument of Norway, the Hardanger fiddle or "hardingfele" may resemble a violin, but it is very different in design, sound, and traditions.
A native of Decorah, Iowa, Eden Ehm grew up seeing beautiful Hardanger fiddles in Vesterheim Museum displays but never dreamed she would play one. Her interest in folk music and fiddling began during her seven years as the principal violinist of the Decorah Nordic Dancer's Orchestra - an opportunity that allowed her to travel, perform, and share her love of folk music nationally. The Nordic Dancers still sell a CD that features Eden's Norwegian fiddling on violin.
Eden began studying the Hardanger fiddle with renowned fiddler Andrea Een while at St. Olaf College, the only school in the United States to offer instruction and credit in this unique instrument. During her time at Olaf, Eden had the opportunity to travel regionally and perform; fiddling for King Harold and Queen Sonja of Norway in 2011 was a highlight.
A member of the Hardanger Fiddle Association of America (HFAA), Eden received the Balchen-Hegge Scholarship in 2015 to pursue her fiddle studies. She has been a frequent teacher and mentor at the HFAA's annual workshop and serves on the HFAA Board of Directors.
One of North America's foremost young fiddlers, Eden enjoys attending workshops and learning new tunes. In 2025, she traveled to Norway to study hardingfele with master Norwegian fiddlers as part of the Rauland International Hardingfele Intensive (RIHI) and Rauland Vinterfestival at the Universitet i Sørøst Norge (USN).
Her musical expression is based on the traditional Hardanger fiddle and flat fiddle repertoire from the entirety of Norway. This broad repertoire allows her to highlight the differences, similarities, and connections between the diverse sub-traditions and connect classical music to folk influences. She is passionate about preserving and sharing this unique instrument and its music with all, and is most often seen performing and demonstrating at Scandinavian festivals and events. Eden's goal is to inspire curiosity and respect for the ethnomusicological traditions of all cultures through her performances, which serves as a powerful motivator to continue studying and sharing the folk music traditions of Norway.
Eden plays on a 1901 O.G. Skogly (Haugen) Hardanger fiddle made in Krøderen, Buskerud and a 1926 Samuel Sætren fiddle made in Horninal, Nordfjord in Norway. The former instrument won an honorable mention at the Drammen Exhibition in 1901.
The Rhapsody String Quartet
Formed in 2016, the Rhapsody String Quartet is
NE Iowa, SE Minnesota, and SW Wisconsin
tri-state area's premier string quartet. Adding elegance and sophistication to any event, we specialize in performing for weddings, cocktail hours, parties, and more. Our extensive repertoire includes traditional wedding music, classical string quartets, favorite pop and rock music, and personal requests. It would be an honor to provide the soundtrack to your special day!
