Instrument maker and musician
Bendik Smedåsgjelten Qvam
In addition to being an instrument maker, I am also a performing musician on guitar, trumpet and various folk instruments such as bukkehorn, willowflute and fiddle.
I have been producing various folk instruments for sale since 2023. Today I produce bukkehorn, tungehorn/reed-horns, neverlur, seljefløyte/willowflute, cow horns, horn flutes, boneflutes etc. in the workshop in Tolga. I am lucky enough to rent the workshop that instrument maker Magnar Storbækken (1956 - 2022) owned when he was alive. The instruments I produce are largely inspired by the way he made instruments.
Magnar was also known for his birch bark plastic willow flutes, which he inherited from Torgeir Granmo, from Tolga, who produced willowflutes and willowflutes for Egil Storbekken.
I produce this type of willowflute today.
In 2023 I received the Norwegian State Artist Grant for making buckhorns, and in 2025 I received the same grant for making neverlures.
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Musician
I am a performing musician both as a soloist and as a musician in various projects and ensembles. I am a multi-instrumentalist and play, among other things, guitar, trumpet, bukkehorn willow flute and fiddle.
Although I currently mainly work within the folk music field, I like to work broadly, across musical genres.
Education
2021 – 2022: University of Southeast Norway. Practical pedagogical education.
2016 – 2019: Kristiania University College. Bachelor in Popular Music. Main instrument: guitar.
2015 – 2016: His Majesty the King's Guard: Cornettist in the band.
2012 – 2015: NØVGS, Music Department: Main instrument guitar.
Achievements/Awards
2025: State artist grant for the production of neverlur.
2025: Album release "Stråk", with the duo Qvam / Plassen.
2024: Recipient of the Egil Storbekken Music Prize.
2023: State artist grant for the production of older folk music instruments.
2023: Winner of the "Landskappleiken" in the "other older folk instruments" class. Nominated for the "Kongepokal".
2021: Recipient, together with Synnøve Brøndbo Plassen, of the "Festspillenes venner i Elverum" talent grant.
2020: Introfolk. Nominated for "Young Folk Musician of the Year"
2020: Debut album Fark released 30.06.2020.
2020: Interview and screening of music from "Fark" during "Folkemusikktimen", NRK 05.07.2020
2019: Recipient of Sparebank1 Østlandets Talent Scholarship
2019: Winner of the "Landskappleiken" in the "other older folk instruments" class. (85p)
2018: Recipient of "Fureprisen", during the "Landskappleik" in Trysil
2017: Winner of the "Landskappleiken" in the "other older folk instruments" class (93p)
2016: Main scholar in His Majesty the Kings Guard 3rd Company