Walter Kitundu
Encyclopedia
Walter Kitundu is a musical instrument
builder, graphic artist, and musical composer from San Francisco, California
.
and spent his early years in Tanzania
. He returned to Minnesota from age 8 to 25, then moved to the San Francisco Bay Area
in approximately 1998. He currently lives in the Western Addition neighborhood.
Described as a renaissance man
, Kitundu is inventor of the "phonoharp", a stringed instrument incorporating a phonograph
. After hearing the instrument, the Kronos Quartet
hired Kitundu as their "instrument builder in residence". In addition to a phonoharp he also built a "phonoharp" for each of the quartet's members. For the song "Tèw semagn hagèré" on their 2009 album Floodplain
, he created new instruments inspired by the begena
, an Ethiopian 10-string lyre.
As of 2008 Kitundu is a "Multimedia Artist" with the Exploratorium
, artist in residence
at the Headlands Center for the Arts
, and a Distinguished visiting professor of "Wood Arts" at the California College of the Arts
.
Kitundu is also a wildlife photographer, with a specialty in hawks and other raptors.
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
builder, graphic artist, and musical composer from San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
.
Biography
Kitundu was born in Rochester, MinnesotaRochester, Minnesota
Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on both banks of the Zumbro River, The city has a population of 106,769 according to the 2010 United States Census, making it Minnesota's third-largest city and the largest outside of the...
and spent his early years in Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
. He returned to Minnesota from age 8 to 25, then moved to the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
in approximately 1998. He currently lives in the Western Addition neighborhood.
Career and Works
Polymath
A polymath is a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas. In less formal terms, a polymath may simply be someone who is very knowledgeable...
, Kitundu is inventor of the "phonoharp", a stringed instrument incorporating a phonograph
Phonograph
The phonograph record player, or gramophone is a device introduced in 1877 that has had continued common use for reproducing sound recordings, although when first developed, the phonograph was used to both record and reproduce sounds...
. After hearing the instrument, the Kronos Quartet
Kronos Quartet
Kronos Quartet is a string quartet founded by violinist David Harrington in 1973 in Seattle, Washington. Since 1978, the quartet has been based in San Francisco, California. The longest-running combination of performers had Harrington and John Sherba on violin, Hank Dutt on viola, and Joan...
hired Kitundu as their "instrument builder in residence". In addition to a phonoharp he also built a "phonoharp" for each of the quartet's members. For the song "Tèw semagn hagèré" on their 2009 album Floodplain
Floodplain (album)
Floodplain is a studio album by the Kronos Quartet released in 2009. All twelve compositions were written or arranged for the quartet.-Concept:...
, he created new instruments inspired by the begena
Begena
The begena is an Ethiopian and Eritrean string instrument that resembles a large lyre. According to Ethiopian tradition, Menelik I brought the instrument to Ethiopia from Israel, where David had used the begena to soothe King Saul's nerves and heal him of insomnia...
, an Ethiopian 10-string lyre.
As of 2008 Kitundu is a "Multimedia Artist" with the Exploratorium
Exploratorium
The Exploratorium is a museum in San Francisco with over 475 participatory exhibits, all of them made onsite, that mix science and art. It also aims to promote museums as informal education centers....
, artist in residence
Artist in residence
Artist-in-residence programs and other residency opportunities allow visiting artists to stay and work so that they may apply singular focus to their art practice....
at the Headlands Center for the Arts
Headlands Center for the Arts
Situated in a campus of artist-renovated military buildings in the Marin Headlands, Headlands Center for the Arts hosts an internationally recognized Artist in Residence Program, interdisciplinary public programs, and subsidized studio rentals for Bay Area artists of all disciplines.- Mission and...
, and a Distinguished visiting professor of "Wood Arts" at the California College of the Arts
California College of the Arts
California College of the Arts , founded in 1907, is known for its broad, interdisciplinary programs in art, design, architecture, and writing. It has two campuses, one in Oakland and one in San Francisco, California, USA...
.
Kitundu is also a wildlife photographer, with a specialty in hawks and other raptors.