Stein Villa at the Nordic Harp Meeting 2008 (foto: Floris van der Meijs)

Stein Villa plays many instruments which have earlier been a part of Norwegian music tradition, e.g. the Norwegian folk harp (“bondeharpe”), the plucked lyre, the bowed lyre, the langeleik, the bagpipes and many more. He tries to bring these instruments into use again, since they represent sound possibilities which are not present in today’s folk music instruments. Stein is also a flute maker, specialised on bone flutes, and he likes to explore which possibilities are hidden inside every musical instrument.

Stein and his wife Marit have been at most Nordic Harp Meetings so far, represented the Norwegian langeleik tradition, and led the allspel with Norwegian folk tunes. They have organised the marvellous NHM 2010 and NHM 2014 and NHM 2019 in Gjøvik.