Festival Opening Ceremony: Maria Faust "Woven Weapons" premiere

Maria Faust (*1979) – Woven Weapons for four wind instruments and percussion (2021, premiere)

Maria Faust (born 1979) is internationally one of the most acclaimed Estonian jazz artists and finds inspiration from the more alternative facet of jazz music. Faust considers herself a neo-romanticist, as she appreciates the sound of pure chords and timbres, and simple melodies. Her sound is emotional and rich in contrasts – she blends jazz, classical music and free improvisation. Woven Weapons is inspired by epigenetics and traditional Estonian knitting patterns. Estonian traditional folk costumes were worn daily until as recently as in the last century. The patterns on the clothes had multiple meanings – they functioned as a language, conveying beliefs, heritage, worldviews and cultural background. They were not merely embellishments but also served as symbolic protection from evil. Epigenetics is the study of heritable changes to DNA that do not involve alterations in DNA sequences. Simply said, heritable traumas are passed on from parent to child – for example, slavery, starvation, wars, and violence… also alcoholism and depression. DNA carries with it the weight of historical events and symbols in the same way knitting patterns do. Paradoxically, something that protects you can also destroy you.

Maria Faust – alto saxophone
Indrek Vau – trumpet
Andres Kontus – trombone
Liudas Mockunas – bass saxophone
Heigo Rosin – percussion

The concert will take place on a barge drifting along the banks of the Emajõgi River (Kaarisild (Arch Bridge), Delta building, Lodjakoja Bay)