In the intimate and atmospheric Sola ruinkyrkje we are invited on a rare journey of discovery: an opportunity to become acquainted with a remarkable instrument – the Estonian kannel. Often described as producing tones from heaven, the kannel remains a hidden treasure for many. You may also discover – or rediscover – another unforgettable instrument: the viola da gamba, known for its deep, soulful timbre and often said to be closest in expression to the human voice.

This unique concert in Norway is a carte blanche given to two outstanding musicians, celebrated for their masterful craftsmanship and artistic depth. Through rare musical intimacy and virtuosity, Anna-Liisa Eller and André Lislevand will take us on a journey through the folk music roots of the Baltics and Northern Europe – a journey that, through the power of music, leads us toward beauty and universality.

The concert is supported by Rogaland County Council and Sola Municipality.

Anna-Liisa Eller began studying the Estonian chromatic kannel at Tallinn Music School under the guidance of Malle Vihul. She continued her education with Kristi Mühling, first at the Georg Ots Tallinn Music School, graduating in 2008, and later at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, where she earned a bachelor's degree in 2011 and a cum laude master's degree in 2014. In 2013, she pursued further studies at the Conservatoire National Supérieur Musique et Danse de Lyon with Professors Yves Rechsteiner and Rolf Lislevand, and at the Trossingen University of Music in Germany from 2013–2014 under Professor Rolf Lislevand.

Since autumn 2016, she has been part of the doctoral programme at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre under Professors Toomas Siitan and Imbi Tarum. Anna-Liisa Eller has won several prizes nationally and internationally, including first prize in Vilnius (2008) and first prize along with the Koistinen Kantele Special Prize at the first International Kantele Competition in Helsinki, Finland (2011). Her artistic focus is mainly on early and contemporary music, and she is passionate about experimenting with and expanding the expressive range of the Estonian chromatic kannel. She has performed at major festivals across Europe as a soloist and with ensembles such as Supersonus, The Bright Future Ensemble, Vox Clamantis, Floridante, Rondellus, and others.

Since 2010, Anna-Liisa Eller has taught kannel at the Georg Ots Tallinn Music School and since 2016 also at Tallinn Music School.

In 2021, she released her critically acclaimed solo album Strings Attached: The Voice of Kannel (Harmonia Mundi), which was widely praised by the international music press. The album won the Annual Music Prize from the Estonian Cultural Endowment (2021) and the Estonian Music Award 2022 for Classical Album of the Year.

André Lislevand, born in Verona in 1993, is the son of two lutenists and has been immersed in music from an early age. By age 16, he was performing with ensembles and orchestras including Ensemble Kapsberger, Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, and Münchner Philharmoniker, working with artists such as Sigiswald Kuijken, Andrea Marcon, and Paul McCreesh.

As a young man, he had the opportunity to study privately with Jordi Savall. In 2013, he began formal studies with Paolo Pandolfo at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, continuing in 2017 with Vittorio Ghielmi at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg. Paolo Pandolfo has described André as "a young master of the viola da gamba, with musical sensitivity rich in ideas of high artistic quality." Today, André is a professor of viola da gamba at the Conservatoire “Pierre Cochereau” in Nice and Conservatorio “L. Marenzio” in Brescia, Italy. He is regularly invited to leading festivals such as Utrecht Early Music Festival, Menuhin Festival Gstaad, Salzburg Festival, Tonhalle Zürich, Göttingen Handel Festival, Festival Ambronay, Muziekgebouw Amsterdam, Trondheim Baroque, Automne Musical de Spa, and Festival Printemps des Arts in Monte Carlo. Since 2013, he has been a regular guest at the Oslo Chamber Music Festival, invited by Arve Tellefsen. He also collaborates with Norwegian lutenist Jadran Duncumb and harpsichordist Paolo Erdas.

His debut album Forqueray Unchained (2021) was awarded Diapason Découverte, and his second album Galanterie – Autumn for Viola da Gamba (2023) received critical acclaim.

Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Organiser: Den gjenfundne tid