Capital of folk music

by Ms Epp Alatalu

Tne of the most wonderful and challenging public tasks in Viljandi this year is the restoration of the former Viljandi manor house on Kirsimägi in the Castle ruins into the Estonian Traditional Music Center or Traditional Music Storehouse.

If one says Viljandi, the first to come to mind are the Viljandi Folk Music Festival and the Viljandi Culture Academy. This small town is certainly considered to be the capital of folk music by lots of Estonians. The Viljandi Folk Music Festival is organized since 1993 by Estonian Traditional Music Center. The festival is well known among folk music fans around the world. The mission of the Center is to promote and teach traditional music, to give people back their "musical mother tongue", as Hungarian composer Zoltan Kodaj said. And to entertain and make traditional music an active part of our everyday life. Viljandi Folk is a 4 days long party held annually at the last weekend of July (26-29 July, 2007), with more than 100 concerts in Viljandi castle ruins, churches, indoor venues and throughout Viljandi County - 5 open-air venues, 10 workshops, 3 indoor venues, exhibitions, an instrument-fair, handicraft yard, fairytale room, more than 400 performers. The audience is becoming more and more international.

To keep the spirit of the festival up all year round, the Estonian Traditional Music Center is building its own home in Kirsimäe ait. This is an early 18^th century Viljandi manor storehouse, situated in the castle ruins. It is being rebuilt into a concert house where one hall with adjustable acoustics is for an audience up to 400 people. A smaller hall for educational programs, traditional music library and phonotheque will also be opened. The Storehouse of Music will be completed in spring 2008.

The restoration of the storage house has become an international project. The request for support from EU funds has got a positive answer. The project will be co-financed by: EU Regional Competitiveness Improvement Programme, Estonian Ministry of Culture and Viljandi.

To cover the gap caused by more than 50% rise of prices in recent years, the Center has initiated nationwide raising of extra money and search for donors. Estonian Traditional Music Center lists the supporters on a Thank You stand in the Music Storehouse.