WELCOME TO THE 6TH WINTER ETHNO ESTONIA!
Winter Ethno Estonia will come again… and already for its sixth edition!!! Let's hope that there will be lots of snow and people to celebrate this beautiful adventure! :)
Winter Ethno will take place from the 31th of January until the 9th of February 2025 at Kiidi Tourist Farm in Võrumaa. It’s a magical scenic place in Southeast Estonia where we can spend a lot of time outside and in the sauna, playing music and dancing, learning about the unique traditions of rural Estonia and enjoying the beauty of an Estonian winter. And of course, there will be more than a couple of concerts as well :)This year’s amazing artistic mentors will be Lee Taul and Nils Peschanski!
Artistic mentors: Lee Taul
Folk music has played an integral role in my life since my early teenage years. My primary instrument is the fiddle on which I also earned my degree from University of Tartu Viljandi Cultural Academy folk music department. Over the years, I've actively contributed to numerous musical bands and projects, been a violin teacher, organized camps and led various musical initiatives. Currently, I'm employed in the educational department of the Estonian Traditional Music Center.
One of the most significant merits of ETHNO is its ability to establish an epicenter for compassion and empowerment in a very short time. By emphasizing the art of listening and the sharing of music and cultural heritage, it effectively cultivates kindness within us. I eagerly anticipate my role as a leader in this year's Ethno Estonia Winter edition and the opportunity to be a part of this beautiful experience.
Artistic mentors: Nils Peschanski
Nils Peschanski is a french musician, based in Paris. Since graduating from conservatoire with a degree in jazz piano he has been exploring the potentialities that music can offer in diverse social and musical contexts. He performed across Europe as a touring musician with his bands Le Vasco, Global Network, Noflipe, Samba de la Muerte and Çhâñt Élečtrónïqùe in all kind of situations from the alternative Slovenian Floating Castle festival to renowned festivals such as the Transmusicales de Rennes or The Great Escape in Brighton.
He's equally comfortable composing soundtracks for film and TV as he's teaching music through different kinds of institutions (conservatories, JMI projects like Ethno and Youth Cultural Center).
Fun fact, he also recently opened for the French pop icon Étienne Daho on his arena tour across France, along with his duo Global Network.
Accommodation
We will stay at the local tourist farm where we sleep in shared rooms: the farm provides us with beds so no need to bring mattresses.
The food will be made locally by our team and you can help us out with that too! Every day we can also cook a recipe of one of the participants and try out diverse traditional dishes. To make it as smooth as possible, we kindly ask you to write in the registration form whether you would like to bring a recipe and if so, would it be for a sweet or a savoury dish.
Location
The camp will take place in southern Estonia which is about a 3-hour drive from the Tallinn airport. First, we will meet in the town Võru on January 31 at around 5 pm! There are quite a few buses going from Tallinn/Tartu to Võru (ticket prices are around €15) but if you have any problems with the transport, please let us know.
On February 8, we will give our last concert at the Estonian Traditional Music Center in Viljandi (AKA the Folk Music Capital of Estonia, yay!). After that, we’ll stay there for the last evening and the next day’s goodbye ceremonies. Our biggest request is that you don't leave the camp before that time so we can keep our amazing Ethno-bubble strong and give the best final concert.
We also remind you that February in Estonia can be around 0°C to -25°C and (hopefully!) there will be (lots of?) snow. We never know what is actually going to happen but just so you know – the house will be warm and cozy!
Fees and registration
There are 25 spots for participants. All musicians aged 18–30 are welcome.
The camp fee is 330 €
The fee includes:
transport during the Ethno camp
food (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks)
accommodation (ps. if you arrive in Estonia already on the 30th of January and have trouble finding accommodation, please let us know – we can help you!)
NB! The organizers will choose the participants according to the needs of the orchestra. Ethnos aim to include as many people from different backgrounds as possible while keeping the musical level of the orchestra as high as possible.
It should be noted that all this considered, we have to exclude some people! (For instance, last year we had to say no to half of our applicants purely due to the lack of space in our camp place!) We are not obligated to further explain our decision.
Registration will remain open until December 1, or until all spots are filled. So, be sure to register now!
At the core of Ethno is its democratic, peer to peer learning approach whereby young people teach each other the music of their countries and cultures. It is a non-formal pedagogy that has been refined over the past 30 years, embracing the principles of intercultural dialogue and understanding. Ethno provides a unique opportunity for young people from across the globe to come together and engage through music in a manner that is characterized by respect, generosity and openness.
The goal of Ethno is to inspire musicians through these interactions to deepen their musical interests and to build a global network that supports their careers. Each Ethno camp combines workshops, jam sessions, rehearsals and performances that enable participants to develop both personal and professional skills. Through Ethno, musicians gain a greater understanding of each other’s cultures. At Ethno, music is a powerful tool that fosters inclusion, understanding and acceptance.
The World's First ETHNO took place in Sweden, Dalarna in 1990. Nowadays there are Ethno camps all over the world. The coordinator of Ethno camps is Jeunesses Musicales International (JMI). Ethno Estonia is a member of that organization. More information about Ethno camps: https://ethno.world.
ETHNO camps have been regularly held in Estonia since 1997. Back then, two traditional music students, Krista Sildoja and Tuulikki Bartosik were sent by Viljandi Folk Music Festival to the ETHNO camp in Falun, Sweden. The first traditional music camp in Estonia, inspired by the Falun ETHNO experience and spurred by the Viljandi Folk Music Festival, took place in the July of the same year, in Viljandi. Since 2000, the camp has been called ETHNO Estonia.
Margit Kuhi, the head of Ethno camps
Margit Kuhi, the Program and Education Manager at the Estonian Traditional Music Center, is an alumna of the Viljandi Culture Academy and a zither player. Since 2001, she has been organizing Kandlekoja PÄRIMUSA camps in Raplamaa and various workshops across Estonia. She has been leading the Estonian ETNO camps since 2009.
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