That’s how theorboist John Lenti described his instrument with its long neck! This week we are hosting John and his wife Sarah while he is visiting Hawaii from Seattle to play the Early Music Hawaii concert this Friday night, September 27th at 7:30 pm at St. Theresa’s Co-Cathedral.

The theorbo is somewhat of a curiosity in Hawaii, simply because as far as we know, there aren’t any! As Carl Crosier says, “we just don’t have any pluck in Hawaii (!)” referring to the historic plucked instruments such as the theorbo. I guess you could call it a bass lute — it looks somewhat like a guitar with an extra long neck. John says that he has longer necked theorbos at home, but this is the one he travels with.

Here’s the scoop on John: 

John Lenti has performed on lute and theorbo in concert and at music festivals across the United States and abroad and his performances have been broadcast on Performance Today and Harmonia. His playing cited as ‘a joy to behold’ (Seattle Times) and praised for its ‘nuanced beauty and character’ (Gramophone), his recording credits include And I remain…,an album of lute songs and lute solos with soprano Linda Tsatsanis and The Amorous Lyre with La Monica. John is assistant music director and plays continuo for the Seattle Baroque Orchestra, he has played with the Seattle Opera, the Pittsburgh Opera (with Chatham Baroque) and is a founding member of the ensembles Plaine & Easie and the I-90 Collective, besides maintaining a busy freelance career. He studied lute with Nigel North, Jacob Heringman, and Elizabeth Kenny and holds degrees from the North Carolina School of the Arts and Indiana University. 

By the way, John and his wife just celebrated their first wedding anniversary on Sunday. Congratulations!