Kevin Kastning
Encyclopedia
Kevin Kastning is an American guitarist, composer and musical instrument inventor. He plays the twelve-string guitar, six-string guitar, fretless guitar, extended baritone guitar, twelve-string extended baritone guitar, alto guitar, the fourteen-string contraguitar, mandolin, piano and bass.
between 1980 and 1984, graduating with a Bachelor of Music. While there he studied composition under the tutelage of Pulitzer Prize winning composer, Walter Mays. In 1985, Kastning moved to Boston
, Massachusetts
, where he pursued graduate studies at Berklee College of Music
for 2 years. At Berklee, Kastning studied with Walter Beasley
and John la Porta while being privately tutored by guitar legend Pat Metheny
. Between the years of 1985 and 1990 he played in numerous jazz chamber groups, playing at clubs throughout the greater Boston and Hartford area are as well as in his own jazz ensemble, the Kevin Kastning Unit, which released a self-titled album in 1988. The Kevin Kastning Unit included Carl Clements on tenor and soprano saxophone with which Kastning has maintained a working relationship.
Since that time, Kastning has made numerous notable collaborative contemporary classical guitar recordings, which are largely improvised. Kastning plays a number of guitar family instruments of his own imagining on his albums including a 6 string extended baritone guitar, an extended baritone guitar, a 12 string alto guitar and a 14 string contraguitar. His music consistently receives strong reviews in the experimental acoustic music community and other modern abstract traditions. Irish painter, Ken Browne's March 2011 exhibition 'Odyssey II' at the Origin Art Gallery (Dublin) featured abstract paintings based on Kastning's music.
Kastning has invented a number of guitar family instruments which extend the traditional range of the guitar into new territory.
Kastning is an artist endorser for Santa Cruz Guitars, Daniel Roberts Stringworks, Anvil Cases, Enhanced Audio, Bricasti Design, Kelsone, Peluso, John Pearse Strings, Cervantes Classical Guitars, Microtech Gefell Microphones and G7th.
Kastning currently lives in Groton
, Massachusetts
with his wife.
In 2006 Kastning began a long term collaboration with Hungarian guitarist, Sandor Szabo. Together they have released 4 albums, on the Greydisc label, each of which is completely improvised, or composed in real time within the studio. Each album was recorded in a single day and each track represents a one time recording without overdubs or multiple takes. Szabo and Kastning toured Hungary in 2009 with guitarist, Dominic Miller
, who is well known for playing with Sting.
In 2009, Kastning met British electric guitarist Mark Wingfield
and proceeded the following year to record an ambient, electro-acoustic album of improvised guitar duets with Wingfield which was released on Greydisc Records.
Binary Forms (1992) Greydisc Records
Book of Days (2002) Greydisc Records
Bichromial (2004) Greydisc Records
Scalar Fields (2005) Greydisc Records
Gravity of Shadows (2011) Greydisc Records
Resonance (2007) Greydisc Records
Parallel Crossings (2008) Greydisc Records
Parabola (2009) Greydisc Records
Returning (2010) Greydisc Records
I walked into the silver Darkness (2011) Greydisc Records
History
Born in 1961 in Wichita, Kansas, Kastning's father was a musician, and by age 11 he had first guitar. He attended Wichita East High School during which time he was in the school orchestra and jazz ensemble as well as in several bands. Kastning attended Wichita State UniversityWichita State University
Wichita State University is a NCAA Division I public university in Wichita, Kansas with selective admissions. WSU is one of six state universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The current president is Dr. Donald Beggs....
between 1980 and 1984, graduating with a Bachelor of Music. While there he studied composition under the tutelage of Pulitzer Prize winning composer, Walter Mays. In 1985, Kastning moved to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, where he pursued graduate studies at Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
for 2 years. At Berklee, Kastning studied with Walter Beasley
Walter Beasley
Walter Beasley is an American saxophonist, a professor of music at the Berklee College of Music, and founder of Affable Publishing and Affable Records.-Biography:Beasley grew up in El Centro, California...
and John la Porta while being privately tutored by guitar legend Pat Metheny
Pat Metheny
Patrick Bruce "Pat" Metheny is an American jazz guitarist and composer.One of the most successful and critically acclaimed jazz musicians to come to prominence in the 1970s and '80s, he is the leader of the Pat Metheny Group and is also involved in duets, solo works and other side projects...
. Between the years of 1985 and 1990 he played in numerous jazz chamber groups, playing at clubs throughout the greater Boston and Hartford area are as well as in his own jazz ensemble, the Kevin Kastning Unit, which released a self-titled album in 1988. The Kevin Kastning Unit included Carl Clements on tenor and soprano saxophone with which Kastning has maintained a working relationship.
Since that time, Kastning has made numerous notable collaborative contemporary classical guitar recordings, which are largely improvised. Kastning plays a number of guitar family instruments of his own imagining on his albums including a 6 string extended baritone guitar, an extended baritone guitar, a 12 string alto guitar and a 14 string contraguitar. His music consistently receives strong reviews in the experimental acoustic music community and other modern abstract traditions. Irish painter, Ken Browne's March 2011 exhibition 'Odyssey II' at the Origin Art Gallery (Dublin) featured abstract paintings based on Kastning's music.
Kastning has invented a number of guitar family instruments which extend the traditional range of the guitar into new territory.
Kastning is an artist endorser for Santa Cruz Guitars, Daniel Roberts Stringworks, Anvil Cases, Enhanced Audio, Bricasti Design, Kelsone, Peluso, John Pearse Strings, Cervantes Classical Guitars, Microtech Gefell Microphones and G7th.
Kastning currently lives in Groton
Groton
Groton is the name of several places :In England:*Groton, Suffolk**Groton WoodIn the United States of America:*Groton, Connecticut, a town**Groton , Connecticut, within the town*Groton, Massachusetts*Groton, New Hampshire*Groton , New York...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
with his wife.
Recording artist
In 1990 Kastning was invited by colleague and fellow guitarist to form the KastningSiegfried Duet Project, and over the next several years they wrote and recorded 5 albums of acoustic, experimental classical guitar compositions which were all released on the label, Greydisc. The KastningSiefried Duet Project is ongoing although Kastning has moved away from performing and recording composed music and favors instead improvisation in the recording studio.In 2006 Kastning began a long term collaboration with Hungarian guitarist, Sandor Szabo. Together they have released 4 albums, on the Greydisc label, each of which is completely improvised, or composed in real time within the studio. Each album was recorded in a single day and each track represents a one time recording without overdubs or multiple takes. Szabo and Kastning toured Hungary in 2009 with guitarist, Dominic Miller
Dominic Miller
Dominic Miller is an Argentine-English guitarist who toured and recorded with World Party and King Swamp, worked on Phil Collins' solo album ...But Seriously and played guitar on every Sting album and tour since 1990...
, who is well known for playing with Sting.
In 2009, Kastning met British electric guitarist Mark Wingfield
Mark Wingfield
Mark Wingfield is a guitarist and composer based in the UK.Most of his output is rooted in jazz, but he is also active in contemporary classical music....
and proceeded the following year to record an ambient, electro-acoustic album of improvised guitar duets with Wingfield which was released on Greydisc Records.
Composer
In addition to performing, Kastning is a modern classical composer with over 200 compositions for various chamber and solo instrumentation, including ten piano sonatas, seven string quartets and numerous works for unusual instrument duets, trio, quartets and quintets. Kastning's works have been performed annually by the London Chamber Group since 2001.Inventor
Kastning has invented a number of guitar family instruments in collaboration with Dan Roberts. The two met in 1999 when Kastning commissioned a guitar from the Santa Cruz Guitar Co, where Roberts was the production manager. By 2002 Kastning was an artist endorser for the Santa Cruz Guitar Co. Kastning is interested in extending the pitch range of the guitar and from this, he has developed several unique instruments with Roberts. The first instrument was the DKK 6-string extended baritone guitar, a 13 fret D baritone, voiced for a low G tuning developed in 2005 with Roberts and the Santa Cruz Guitar Co. The second was the Santa Cruz DKK-12 string extended baritone guitar, a 13 fret, D baritone voiced for a low F# tuning developed in 2005/06 . The third, the Santa Cruz KK-alto, a 12 string alto guitar in A, was developed in 2008. Kastning continued his collaboration with Roberts after Roberts left Santa Cruz Guitar Co to form his own company, Daniel Roberts Stringworks. In 2007 Kastning commissioned at 14 string contraguitar from Roberts which was completed in 2010.KastningSiegfried
Binary Forms (1992) Greydisc Records
Book of Days (2002) Greydisc Records
Bichromial (2004) Greydisc Records
Scalar Fields (2005) Greydisc Records
Gravity of Shadows (2011) Greydisc Records
Sandor Szabo & Kevin Kastning
Resonance (2007) Greydisc Records
Parallel Crossings (2008) Greydisc Records
Parabola (2009) Greydisc Records
Returning (2010) Greydisc Records
Mark Wingfield & Kevin Kastning
I walked into the silver Darkness (2011) Greydisc Records