lutenist

A lutenist is a musician who plays the lute, a plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep, rounded soundboard. Lutes belong to a family that also includes the theorbo and archlute, used from the Renaissance through the Baroque periods. The instrument typically has a wooden soundboard, a bent-back pegbox, tied gut frets, and strings arranged in courses, often six to ten pairs, plucked with the fingers or a plectrum depending on the repertoire.

Historically, lutenists were prominent in European courts and households from the 16th to the 18th centuries, performing solo pieces, lute solos that accompanied singers, and ensembles accompanying dances. The lute repertoire includes polyphonic songs, dances, and continuo works; prominent composers include John Dowland and Silvius Leopold Weiss. In the Baroque era the instrument gradually declined as other keyboard and plucked instruments rose in popularity, but it continued in specialized circles and later experienced revival.

In modern practice, lutenists work as solo artists, chamber musicians, or continuo players in early-music ensembles. The revival movement has led to new compositions for lute and to performances on historical reconstructions and modern replicas. The instrument has remained central to historically informed performance and to the broader exploration of Renaissance and Baroque music. Notable lutenists today include Paul O'Dette, Nigel North, Hopkinson Smith, and Ronn McFarlane, among others.