Erik Jonsson Helland
Erik Jonsson Helland (1816–1868) was a Norwegian Hardanger fiddle maker. 

Erik Jonsson Helland  was the eldest son of the Hardanger fiddle maker Jon Eriksson Helland from Bø in Telemark, Norway. Around 1830, he began to specialize in making Hardanger fiddles and to experiment in his father's workshop with new models in order to obtain a more powerful tone without losing the softness of the instrument. This led to a broader instrument, with a fuller outline and a lower vault, which is now the more common style. In the 1850s, he gained national attention and in 1861 was awarded a national scholarship to study with the violin makers, Enger & Son in Copenhagen.

See also 
The Helland fiddle maker family
Jon Eriksson Helland II

References

Related Reading
Aksdal, Bjørn (2009) Hardingfela felemakere og instrumentets utvikling (Trondheim: Tapir Akademisk Forlag)

External links 
The Helland fiddle maker family

1816 births
1868 deaths
Norwegian musical instrument makers
Fiddle makers