Born in 1983, Erik Rydvall began playing violin at the age of five, before at last discovering the nyckelharpa at 18. Between 2003 and 2008 Erik studied nyckelharpa at the Eric Sahlström Institute in Tobo and the Royal College of Music in Stockholm. Meeting the legendary nyckelharpa pioneers, Johan Hedin and Olov Johansson as well as other musicians such as Magnus Zetterlund and Anders Löfberg persuaded Erik to begin the development of his own approach.

After his graduation, Erik began to work as a professional nyckelharpa player. He was soon touring with the successful Swedish folk music trio Nordic of which he also is a founding member. In 2010 Erik joined the Swiss flamenco dance company “Flamencos en Route” performing “Orfeo and Euridice” (2011) and “El Rubí” (2012). Together with  one of Norway’s top Hardanger fiddle players Olav Luksengård Mjelva, he formed the duo Rydvall/Mjelva and in 2012 saw the release of their highly acclaimed debut album “Isbrytaren” (“The Icebreaker”), unifying traditional nyckelharpa and hardangerfiddle music for the first time ever.

He is a musician always on the lookout for new impulses and challenges.