On September 23rd to 27th 2008, Estonian first festival for improvisational guitar will take place in Viljandi. The initiators of this new tradition are a musician and guitar teacher Ain Agan, also Robert Jürjendal and Aleksei Saks. With this festival they hope to fill a gap in Estonian musical scene and create a centralized output for improvisational and above- style guitar playing. Main co-operation partners for Viljandi Guitar Festival are University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy, Tallinn Philharmonic Society and Viljandi Town Government.
The main performer at the Viljandi Guitar Festival this year is Canadian top guitarist Kevin Breit with his band Sisters Euclid. In addition the guitar virtuosos Alexander Vinitsky from
Russia and Marzi Nyman from Finland will perform at the festival. As the festival plans to introduce different cognate instruments of guitar every year, also the world-famous lute player Rolf Lislevand from Norway will come to Viljandi. Domestic artists are represented by Tiit Paulus, Jaak Sooäär, Andre Maaker and Weekend Guitar Trio. The Estonian guitarist in focus is Riho Sibul whose jubilee tour in autumn will end at Viljandi Guitar Festival by recording a DVD.
NGO Viljandi Kitarrifestival (Viljandi Guitar Festival) will annually give out Tiit Paulus Young Guitar Player Prize that should help one outstanding Estonian young musician continue guitar studies. Within this festival the organizers wish to collocate Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Finnish and Russian guitar students to master courses.
Maria Mölder