Advertisement
World Artist Experiences is partnering with MCTA to present the Kontus Trio on Nov 17th 2024 at 4pm. Rebecca Kontus:
Rebecca is one of the most colorful singers on the Estonian music scene, who has demonstrated her musical range by composing in very diverse projects, from intimate salon performances to mixed choirs and even a symphony orchestra.
Rebecca has so far been focused on recording a lot of music with a spiritual undertone, but now the singer feels that it's time to also make something more upbeat.
On the last day of April 2024, Rebecca released her 6th solo album, where she has recorded her recent music, inspired by reflections on post covid years, where she herself among others is coping with mixed feelings about the world. Although the texts may be philosophical and often serious, the musical material in contrast is uplifting and positive throughout the album.
Paul Daniel:
Paul (born 1977) graduated from Kehtna elementary school in 1992 and Rapla High School in 1995. In 2001, he graduated from the Georg Otsa Tallinn Music School and in 2007 from the Estonian Academy of Music and Theater (EMTA; bachelor's degree in jazz music). In the academic year 2005/06, Daniel improved his jazz music major as an exchange student at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Weimar. He obtained his master's degree in interpretation pedagogy at EMTA in 2008. In the same university, he obtained his master's degree in classical composition in 2023.
Has worked as a guitar teacher at EMTA and at the Georg Otsa Music School. From 2024, he teaches guitar at the Viimsi Music School. Has been active as a freelance musician in various projects, e.g. Estonian Dream Big Band, pop singer Lauri Saatpalu, early music ensemble Floridante, etc. Published the album "Ilu sõitis jõge pidi" (2017) together with the band Elletuse, being the band leader. In 2021, together with the band Puhkuseloomad, he released the album "Puhkuseloomad". The disc features original music for the lyrics of Kalju Kruusa, with Jaan Pehk as the soloist. Has published a solo album "Greek Fire" (2014).
Peedu Kass:
Kass moves and grooves with the top names on the Estonian jazz scene and beyond. After garnering the prestigious Young Talent prize (2010) at Estonia’s annual Jazzkaar festival, Kass quickly established a reputation as Tallinn's first-call bassist, and his entrée onto the wider European scene was anticipated by his win, at age twenty, of the Sony Jazz Stage award in Riga, Latvia, in a year (2006) in which the competition was focused on his instrument. He has since shared the bandstand with the likes of Django Bates, Marilyn Mazur, Seamus Blake, Tony Allen, Lonnie Liston Smith, Antonio Hart, and the European Jazz Orchestra. His tours have taken him all over Europe and to the United States, Canada, Japan, and Australia, and he has thrilled to the view from the stage of storied jazz festivals (London, Kongsberg, Pori) and clubs (Smalls, New York City; Pit Inn, Tokyo; Vortex, London). Kass received his bachelor’s degree from the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre and a master's in jazz performance (2014) from the renowned Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland. In addition to lessons with Estonian greats, he has been coached by Matt Penman,
Mats Eilertsen, Thomas Morgan, and Anders Jormin. Kass teaches at the Viljandi Culture Academy of Tartu University and is a former chairman of the Estonian Jazz Union.
Renowned for his electric-, acoustic- and synth-bass skills—in performance and in the studio and with ensembles ranging from small groups to full orchestras—Kass has also been expanding into arrangement and composition. Studies with composer Tõnu Kõrvits led to settings for strings and horns, pieces for chamber ensemble, and a commission from the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, premiered in 2012 at the annual Estonian Music Days festival. Kass leads several bands, including the piano trio “Peedu Kass Momentum,” which won Jazzkaar’s “Jazz Ensemble of the Year” award in 2017. The first album under his own name, a quintet effort, Home, was released in 2010, followed shortly by Armada in 2012. His latest, Peedu Kass Momentum, was released in April 2016 and was nominated for jazz album of the year at the Estonian Music Awards.
When not pursuing music, Kass can be found mountaineering or hiking forgotten trails. He strives for the legibility of strong natural forms in his playing and writing, a legibility always affected, of course, by the ever-changing atmosphere of day and season.
Located at 25 E. Main Street, Frostburg, Mountain City Traditional Arts is a program of Frostburg State University and a founding member of Maryland’s Folklife Network. It receives support from the Maryland Traditions Program of the State Arts Council. For more information call 301-687-8040
Advertisement
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
25 E Main St, Frostburg, MD, United States, Maryland 21532
