Erik Jonsson Helland
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Erik Jonsson Helland (1816 - 1868) was a Norwegian Hardanger fiddle maker from Bø in Telemark.
He was the eldest son of the Hardangerfiddle maker Jon Eriksson Helland. As time went on, Erik Jonsson Helland began to specialize in making Hardangerfiddles and gained reputation as the foremost in the trade. In the years of the 1850, he caught national attention and was awarded a national scholarship to study with the violin makers, Enger & Son in Copenhagen, Denmark. However, he had already accomplished at a level of artistic skill that made the stay in Copenhagen of limited value to him. Around 1830, he began to experiment in his father's workshop with new models in order to obtain a more powerful tone without losing the softness of the instrument. This lead to a broader instrument, with a fuller outline and a lower vault, which is now the common style.
No other violin maker in Norway has had such a profound impact on the design of the Hardanger fiddle as Erik Jonsson Helland.
