The Swedish fiddler Lena Jonsson has created a unique style inspired by traditional Swedish music as well as many other influences. Today we’re focusing on the wonderful 3rd album by her trio, “Folk Covers” which celebrates many great folk music composers of today. I think you’ll really enjoy this uplifting conversation which features a lot of music, including Lena giving us some spontaneous house concert experiences, and clips from the new album, with insights into process of curating and interpreting these folk covers; please note the timestamps have the tune names. You’ll also learn about the Swedish folk scene and regional differences, her experiences studying both in Sweden and Boston at Berklee, her love of creative design and how to dance a Polska. I want to let you know that I’m going to be taking a short break for a couple of weeks, but I’m very excited to bring you Season 6 of this podcast at the beginning of January 2026!

Complete Show Notes for this Episode!

Lena Jonsson Website

photo: Klara Granberg

(00:00) Intro

(02:16) album Folk Covers, with clip of Äntligen!

(04:33) childhood musical family in Hälsingland Sweden

(10:28) microtonality and ornamentation in Swedish fiddling with Silkesvalsen

(13:25) fiddling, duo with Brittany Haas

(16:33) Four Minute Love Story with clip “Neljän Minuuttin rakkaus” Johanna Jukola

(18:44) arranging, curating with Erik Ronström and Krydda Sundström with clip of Fortcalquier by Genticorum

(22:29) first Canadian tour, Blue Skies festival

(24:26) teaching folkhögskola, Berklee experience

(30:22) Burdland, cover of Kinnaris with clip, Norwegian hardanger fiddle influence

(34:51) learning from archival recordings

(37:23) other linked episodes and ways to support this series

(38:10) experience studying in Stockholm

(42:00) Bubbles in Central Park with clip, how to dance a Polska

(47:58) how to pronounce Lena and bits of Swedish culture, and clip of Unless/The Tobagganist by Hawktail

(54:58) love of design and fashion, duo with Johanna Juhola

(59:00) Morgenslått with clip, memorizing music

(01:03:01) Erik Rydvall nyckelharpa, Midsummer, great fiddle teachers

(01:07:33) harpist Maeve Gilchrist, clip of Brenda's Abbey, how the trio got started

(01:12:09) composing with performance of Ispolskan