Eli Storbekken is one of the most established and experienced folk singers in Norway.
She has had a long and diverse career within vocal folk music,
and collaborates with musicians from various genres such as jazz, classical, and world music.
She has contributed to 17 recordings since the 1970s, including 6 solo albums. In connection with the album releases, she has performed numerous concerts featuring material from the releases.
On the albums, she has often collaborated with other musicians such as Georg Buljo on "Maros" and "Songen til Fløyta," and Sigurd Hole on "Spellstenen."
Her most recent album release to date is "Tidløse toner" released in 2021.
She has participated in numerous radio and TV programs since the 1970s.
She teaches vocal folk music to children, young people, and adults at music institutions and privately.
She began teaching at the Ole Bull Academy in Voss in 1983 and continues to hold courses and teach there.
Eli has participated in various folk music festivals in the Nordic countries and has toured in Ireland, Russia, Ukraine, USA, Iraq, and Qatar.
In the fall of 2019, she held a series of school concerts in Tanzania, see Archive for more.
She served as the musical director for the Maridalsspillet (2002-2008), an annual production held in the ruins of Maridalen Church. She was also a regular performer in the outdoor production "Huldrenatt" in Tolga with a choir and several folk musicians (2002-2009).
She has served on various boards and positions such as the Hedmark Folk Music Association, the Association for Folk Music and Folk Dance, the Norwegian Kvedarforum, and has been a judge at the Landskappleiken (national folk music competition).
In the 1990s, she toured for several years with the group "Det Syng" along with Agnes Buen Garnås, Anne Marit Jacobsen, Sinikka Langeland, and Halvor Håkanes. They released the album "Ballader på vandring" (Ballads on a Journey).
I 1998 var hun med og etablere "Kvedar" et stort nordisk vokal- og danseensemble som turnerte i alle de nordiske land fram til 2004.
In recent years, she has extensively toured with different musicians for "Den kulturelle skolesekken" (The Cultural Rucksack) and "Den kulturelle Spaserstokken" (The Cultural Walking Stick), including Tom Steinar Lund on guitar, Britt Pernille Frøholm on fiddle, Irene Tillung on accordion, and Hege Rimestad on fiddle and guitar.
Has won awards including:
Folklarmprisen (Folklarm Award) in the Group category for Maros in 2009. Norwegian Folk Music Awards 2009.
Received the Gammleng-prisen (Gammleng Award) in the "Folk Music" category in 2010.
Received the Tolgaprisen (Tolga Award) in 2011.
Folklarmprisen (Folklarm Award) in the Documentation category for Rosekolla in 2014.
See Archive for details on releases and more.
Musical Highlights from Eli's Folk Singing Journey
Eli Storbekken is accompanied by a dream team of
musicians as she celebrates her musical journey as a
folk singer throughout the years!
• Eli Storbekken - vocals
• Georg Buljo - guitar
• Sigurd Hole - double bass
• Andreas Ulvo - piano
• Halvor Håkanes - traditional singing
• Jørn Simenstad - bukkehorn (a traditional
Norwegian instrument made from buckhorn)
• Nils Økland - fiddle
• Irene Tillung - accordion
• Terje Isungset - percussion, Jew's harp
She has collaborated with musicians from various
genres such as jazz, folk, and world music!
In December, she turns 70, and on November 24th, there
will be a concert featuring a group of musicians who
have had and still have significant importance in her
musical life.
Eli has released seven solo albums, six of which were
done in collaboration with musicians like Georg Buljo,
Sigurd Hole, Andreas Ulvo, and Jørn Simenstad. They
have served as musicians, co-arrangers, and producers
on "Nattergalen, Folkesanger fra Østerdalen" (2000),
Maros (2009), Songen til fløyta (2012), Fabel (2016),
Spellstenen (2020), and Tidløse Toner (2021).
Most of these albums were released under the
Heilo/Grappa music label.
In addition to Georg, Sigurd, Andreas, and Jørn, Eli's longtime singing colleague Halvor Håkanes will be joining, as
well as accordionist and touring partner Irene Tillung.
From her early teens, she traveled with her father Egil
and performed in concerts both domestically and
internationally. She later went to Oslo, where she made a
name for herself at Club 7 with singing courses that she
took over from, among others, Agnes Buen Garnås.
Eli organized Folk Singing Seminars from 1975 to 1985,
when the club was shut down!
As a course leader and teacher, she has been highly
active and worked at the Ole Bull Academy for over 40
years.
She has been the driving force behind five seminars
called "Klangen før fela" from 2014 to 2023 at Riksscenen,
served on the board of Hedmark Folk Music Association,
and is a member of the board for the Norwegian
Kvedarforum.
She has been a judge in traditional folk singing
competitions at Landskappleiken countless times over
the years, including in 2023.
Other releases include "Glimt" in 1989 (a documentary
featuring calls and vocal folk music from the mountain
pasture life) and "Rosekolla" in 2014.
She has also participated in various album recordings
for other artists over the years.
Eli has been awarded 2 Folkelarm Prizes, the FFUK Rolf
Gammleng Prize, and the Tolga Prize in 2011, and was
nominated for the Spellemann Prize in 2016.
She has received the State's guaranteed income and
working grant for several years!
