Buenos Aires-born classical musician Evangelina Mascardi is an absolute master of the lute, guitar, theorbo, and vihuela. I don’t know about you, but I needed to look up those last two things. F.Y.I., the theorbo is a version of lute with additional bass strings. This requires it to have a much longer neck which extends past the regular lute strings. (See the first video below.) A vihuela is an early Spanish stringed instrument. Though it looks like a guitar, it is tuned like a lute.

Mascardi’s treatment of Bach is particularly gorgeous, and I listened to her Gavotte en Rondeau of BWV 1006a on repeat while researching and writing this post. I ordered a CD of her album of Bach’s Complete Lute Works for my dad, and I think it’s going to bring both of us a lot of joy.

Mascardi’s repertoire is primarily solo, though she does occasionally play with the Ensemble Zefiro and the Monteverdi Choir. I think her solo lute performances are so nuanced and perfect, she doesn’t need other instruments! In addition to being a critically-acclaimed, world-class soloist, Mascardi is also one of the best known and beloved lute teachers in the classical world. She teaches lute at the Conservatorio A. Vivaldi in Alessandria, Italy.

You can enjoy all of Evangelina Mascardi’s gorgeous lute playing on YouTube and on her website.