Kristo Käo and Villu Vihermäe will perform at this year’s night concert.

Villu and Kristo’s collaboration began in early music ensembles’ continuo groups such as Corelli Baroque Orchestra, Floridante, Studio Vocale, and several project ensembles. However, the repertoire for the festival’s nocturnal concert not only encompasses music typical of their instruments’ era but also includes contemporary compositions. By juxtaposing the old and the new, Kristo and Villu have curated a program featuring Estonian composers’ music specially crafted for historical instruments, such as Argo Vals, Märt-Matis Lill, Ardo Ran Varres, and Mingo Rajandi. Additionally, there are premieres planned from composers who are currently working on their pieces, and you will have the opportunity to hear their names and music during the concert.

Viola da gamba, with its tuning and playing logic, is a closely related cousin to the guitar. After all, they both originate from the same family of instruments and in some languages, viola da mano or “hand viola” is still used as the term for guitar-like instruments. Good examples of this are the Spanish vihuela (an instrument with a lute tuning and guitar shape) or the Portuguese violão, which is the most common type of guitar. However, unlike guitars, the viola da gamba is primarily played with a bow, which grants it a quality that finger-plucked instruments lack – a sustained sound. Thus, the combination of bowed and plucked instruments forms a superbly complementary ensemble, a tradition that has been cultivated for centuries.