GIG: European Folk 2025

Join us for an evening of European folk music with tutors from the Halsway European Weekend, and debut performances of new ensemble pieces created by course participants.

German Diaz is one of the most influential musicians for the revival of the hurdy gurdy in Spain and for it´s place in contemporary music. He feels at home in different genres. German has been playing traditional music, jazz and classical music and his original music has been part of stage plays and films.

It is impossible to stick a label on his compositions. He likes to experiment with sounds and ideas and even plays together with old recordings of heartbeats and with music boxes!

German does also sing and plays percussions and guitar.

Mikael Marin: 5-string viola, electric viola, violoncello da spalla. As a member of Swedish supergroup, Väsen, Mikael has been a touring musician for more than 30 years. With 13 studio albums and countless compositions to his name, Mikael’s music has found popularity all over the world. He has taught at Stockholm’s Royal Academy of Music since 1994, training generations of folk musicians. Over the years, Mikael has collaborated with artists including Lena Willemark, Mats Edén, Ale Möller, Ånon Egeland, Darol Anger, Mike Marshall, Chris Thile, Kronos Quartet, Annbjørg Lien, Bruce Molsky, Dervish, Musica Vitae, Trondheim solisterne and Norbotten Big Band, to name a few.

His many awards include: 1983 Zorn Silver Badge, 1998 Grammis (Swedish Grammy), 2013 World Music Torchbearer Award, 2015 Group of the Year, Folk and World Music Gala, 2019 Stockholm Royal Academy of Music, Folk Music Award.

Merit Zloch  and Matthias Branschke are both researching historical dance manuscripts and organising musicians meetings, bals and instrumental workshop weekends. They both play in a band together (solid ghost) and teach in a team frequently.

Matthias Branschke is one of the best known pipers in Germany. He is a passionate player and arranger of traditional tunes as well as a composer of catchy new melodies. His play is delicate, expressive, groovy and full of joy.

His specialities in playing and teaching are dance grooves, rhythm and musical tightness.

Merit Zloch  (www.meritzloch.net) is a harpist, composer and music teacher. She sees herself in the tradition of the itinerant harp players of the 19th and early 20th century, travelling with her harp throughout Europe charming people with her original compositions and arrangements of historical dance music.

She has played in bands almost as long as she has played the harp and is constantly fascinated by the interplay between musicians. She likes to arrange und develop pieces together with her band colleagues and to improvise.