Duo Ruut: Two voices, one instrument, endless horizons
Duo Ruut is the meeting point of two creative minds – Ann-Lisett Rebane and Katariina Kivi – who have turned a single Estonian kannel into a world-traveling conversation between voice, strings, and tradition.
Formed as an outlet for new ideas and creative drive, the pair began by exploring the shared ground of their friendship and musical backgrounds. Instead of performing separately, they chose to sit face-to-face over one instrument, composing in a way that demanded constant connection. Their approach draws on Baltic Finnic runo song – the ancient oral poetry of the region – yet they strip it back and rebuild it with minimalist arrangements, inventive playing techniques, and a contemporary sensibility.
Their debut album Tuule sõnad (Words of the Wind) arrived in 2019, winning Debut Album of the Year at the Estonian Ethno Music Awards and earning nominations at the Estonian Music Awards. A follow-up EP, Kulla kerguseks (Golden Light), continued their international rise, gathering support from major radio stations, music magazines, and festivals. Over just a few years, Duo Ruut has performed in more than 20 countries – from Japan and Uzbekistan to the UK, France, and Norway – bringing their unique sound to audiences who may never have heard the kannel before.
Duo Ruut, the Estonian music duo, photographed with Tallinn in the background. Photo: Krõõt Tarkmeel.
In 2025, they released their second full-length record Ilmateade (The Weather Report), a cycle of songs linking weather to emotion, from the mist of Udu (Fog) to the warm pull of Suvi Rannas (Summer at the Beach). Named Folk Album of the Month by The Guardian, it showcased their ability to balance tradition with modern textures, welcoming collaborators like guitarist Erki Pärnoja, nu-folk duo Puuluup and poet EiK to expand the soundscape.
That same year, Duo Ruut stepped onto one of the world’s most iconic stages – performing three times at the Glastonbury Festival. Their music drew listeners into its quiet power, earning standing ovations, autograph lines, and new fans from across the globe. Just days later, an unexpected twist hit their touring plans when their kannel failed to arrive in time for their Roskilde Festival performance in Denmark. The setback became a moment of resilience, reminding them – and their audience – how central that single instrument is to their art.
Duo Ruut’s music is minimalist in form yet expansive in spirit. Every plucked string and layered harmony carries centuries of Estonian tradition into the present, reframed through the creativity of two artists who refuse to be confined by genre. Whether playing to a hushed room in Viljandi or a sea of faces at an international festival, Ann-Lisett Rebane and Katariina Kivi prove that one instrument – in the right hands – can hold the sound of the world.
Video: Kristjan Taal
Rooted in Estonia concept
On the roof of Linnahall, with the jagged skyline of Tallinn behind them and the sea-stretched horizon ahead, Duo Ruut stand at the meeting point of then and now. Their music doesn’t choose between past and future – it completes the circle.
With a single shared instrument and a sound both ancient and startlingly fresh, they remind us that Estonia’s folk tradition was never meant to stay still. These melodies were always meant to move – across time, across borders, across generations. Duo Ruut carries them not as artefacts, but as invitations. Through the fog of the present, to the shores of tomorrow.
From ancient village runo-songs to global stages, they make it clear: the horizon behind us is just as wide as the one ahead. And when you tune in to the past with open ears, it has a way of drawing people together – from here to anywhere.
Concept: AD Angels
Clothing: New Life Studio
Styling: Marion Laev
Photos: Krõõt Tarkmeel
Video: Kristjan Taal
Music: Duo Ruut
Location: Linnahall
Funded by the EU – NexGenEU