Marin/Marin - Swedish Master Fiddlers

Marin/Marin - A fiddle duo touring the world and recording music between 2006 and 2016.
Thank you, everyone who has booked us or listened to our music! Now, we play on with other projects. 


Mikael Marin - five string viola and violino grande
Mia Marine - five string violin

"Sweden's Dynamic Duo [...] They are two of the most important musical exports their homeland has to offer." - Michael Lohr, The Fiddler

”...Marin/Gustafsson unleash a violin duo which surpasses most everything else in the genre. It sparkles and shines, it's dusky, it swings, it's beautiful.”...” Awfully good, nothing to add.”
Lars Lind, Lira Musikmagasin

This was written in Lira Musikmagasin, the biggest magazine for traditional music in Sweden, when Marin/Marin released their first duo album, "Mot Hagsätra" 2008. (Back in those days, Mia's surname was ”Gustafsson”.) Two of Sweden's most established traditional violin players teamed up, and the result was a totally unique duo. Since they are both known as experienced and imaginative second voice players, (Mikael in the trio Väsen, Mia in trios NID and MP3) they are uncommonly responsive. Something that can be heard in their arrangements, improvisations and compositions. Their repertoire is a mix of traditional tunes and original compositions. Mikael's creative sound world put together with Mia's fulminent playing equals musical fireworks without parallell. Their second album  ”Småfolket” was nominated for the prestigious Manifest award in 2011. (An award for important albums from small record labels.) Their third album "Skuggspel" was released in the summer of 2013, and was immediately a favourite with the media. The last album "Tiden" was released at Ransäterstämman in June 2016 in a crowded concert venue and has also gotten really great reviews. All four albums have received the quality sign "Lira likes" in the earlier mentioned magazine.

They are called master fiddlers as well as inspired teachers. They teach regularly at music colleges, schools and workshops in Sweden and around the world. Sometimes alone, other times together with dance teachers or other music teachers. Mikael also plays in the bands Väsen, Timber, Bowing 9 and Rotvälta. He is also in charge of  traditional ensemble education at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm. Mia plays with MP3, NID, Bowing 9, Lena Willemark, Ulrika Bodén Band and Sofia Karlsson Band. She teaches very often at workshops around the world and is also a violin teacher at Malungs folkhögskola and Eric Sahlström Institutet in Uppland.

Their instruments give them a larger range than the "traditional" way of playing on two fiddles. Mia is since 2010 playing five string fiddle by Per Klinga in Mora. It's tuned as a fiddle and a viola (CGDAE). Mikael plays two five string violas. One which is made by Per Klinga, tuned like a fiddle and a viola (CGDAE), and another one made by Hans-Olof Hansson, which is tuned one octave below a fiddle, (GDAEB).

Marin/Marin have released three highly acclaimed CDs on the label Dimma Sweden. ”Mot Hagsätra” (2008), "Småfolket" (2011), "Skuggspel" (2013) and "Tiden" (2016). A new album is planned for 2016. They have also made a tune book with 22 of their own tunes with second voices and chords. Find the tune book and the albums in the webshop.

Marin/Marin are touring in Sweden, France, Belgium, Norway, Bulgaria, Germany and USA among other places.

• Reviews
• "It was one of the most compelling fiddle shows I’ve seen: the richness, joy, and excitement that these two masterful players create is astounding.”
  Brendan Taffee, The Fiddler, Review from a Marin/Marin gig at Club Passim, Cambridge.
• "This is absolute world-class. The Marin duo innovate and develop traditional music and brings hope for a bright future."
  Lars Lind, Lira Musikmagasin 2013
  
  
• "... the dynamics of their music make every phrase breath. Masterful playing which undoes the limit between traditional music and classical music."
  Ulf Gustavsson, Uppsala Nya Tidning 2013
• "Marin and Gustafsson play together phenomenally well"  Po Tidholm, Dagens Nyheter
  
  
• ”...Marin/Gustafsson lets loose a fiddle duo that surpasses almost everything else in the genre. It sparkles and shines, it’s profound, it’s groovy, it’s beautiful.” ... ”Frighteningly good, nothing more to add.” Lars Lind, Lira
  
  "Throughout the album we can hear the luminosity of Mia and Mikael Marin's exquisite duo playing on five string fiddle and five string viola. Each tune is a treasure with qualities which emerge more and more each time I listen to it." Gunder Wåhöberg, Lira Musikmagasin
  
  ”Mikael Marin and Mia Gustafsson give solid performances throughout, and the album on the whole is at least as good as the most recent Väsen CD Väsen Street. Fans of Väsen who are in the mood for something with a more purely traditional feel will like this recording a lot.”  Scott, The Armchair Critic
  
  "...they play at such high level that this album is a real treat for everybody who loves violin music." Eelco Schilder, Folkworld
  
  To read more reviews, choose "Reviews" under Marin/Marin in the band menu on the left.