Kevin Kastning (born in Wichita, Kansas) is an American guitarist, composer and musical instrument inventor.Kevin Kastning Website He plays the 36-string Double Contraguitar, 30-string Double Contraguitar, 30-string Contra-Alto guitar, 24-string Double Subcontraguitar, 18-string Contraguitar, 17-string Hybrid Extended Classical guitar, 15-string Extended Classical guitar, twelve-string guitar, six-string guitar, fretless guitar, 12-string extended baritone guitar, 6-string bass-baritone guitar, alto guitar, the 14-string contraguitar, the 16-string contraguitar, the 17-string contraguitar, 12-string soprano guitar, mandolin, piano, and bass.
History Kastning's father was a musician, and Kevin began on trumpet at age 7. By age 11 he had his first guitar.Nathan Lamb, "Unique Transatlantic Sound", Nashoba Newspapers, November 6, 2009 He attended Wichita East High SchoolWichita 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 University 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 36-string Double Contraguitar, a 30-string Contra-Soprano guitar, 6-string bass-baritone guitar, a 12-string extended baritone guitar, a 12-string alto guitar, and 16-string, 17-string, and 18-string Contraguitars and Sub-Contraguitars. 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'Kathy Foley "Backchat: Amy's Keenon a Rewind-up" Dublin Sunday Times March 27, 2011 at the Origin Art Gallery"Ken Browne opens at Origin Art Gallery" 'Irish Art Blog', March 25, 2011 (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 Martin Guitars as a Martin Artist, Santa Cruz Guitar Company, Daniel Roberts Stringworks, Anvil Cases, Emerald Guitars,Emerald Guitars Godin Guitars, Enhanced Audio, Bricasti Design, Kelsone, Peluso, John Pearse Strings,John Pearse Strings Cervantes Classical Guitars,Cervantes Classical Guitars Microtech Gefell Microphones, G7 Performance Capos, ToneRite, Hipshot, and K&K Sound.K&K Sound
Recording artist In 1990 Kastning was invited by colleague and fellow guitarist to form the KastningSiegfried Duet Project,Benny, "Kevin Kastning: a new classical language at onclassical.com", OnClassical, June 15, 2009 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 improvisationBarry Cleveland, "Improvising an album", Guitar Player Magazine, September 2011 in the recording studio.
In 2006 Kastning began a long term collaboration with Hungarian guitarist, Sandor Szabo.Billy Bunker, "Interview with Kevin Kastning", Billy's Bunker: Music Reviews from the Independent Underground, July 2010 Together they have released multiple 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.Mark Tucker, "A Second Conversation", Perfect Sound Forever Magazine, April 2011 Szabo and Kastning toured HungaryMillenaris Teatrum "Dominic Miller, Kevin Kastning - Szabo Sandor Duo" Millenaris Teatrum Listings, November 2009 in 2009"Millenaris Program" Millenaris Print Program: Dominic Miller, Kevin Kastning-Sandor Szabo Duo, November 2009 with guitarist, Dominic Miller,Greg Jazz Blog, "Koncert-beszamolo: Dominic Miller", November 9, 2009 who is well known for playing with Sting (musician).
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.Robert Silverstein, "An Interview with Kevin Kastning and Mark Wingfield", mwe3, December, 2011 In 2012 Kastning and Wingfield released a second album of wholly improvised ambient duets entitled "An Illustrated Silenece".Mark Tucker, "FAME Review: An Illustrated Silence"FAME, October 2012
During the 2009 Szabo/Kastning European tour, Kastning recorded a trio album, entitled "Triptych", with Szabo and percussionist, Balazs Major on location in Nograd. Triptych was released on Greydisc Records in December 2011.Mark Tucker, "FAME Review: Triptych" FAME, January 2012 The album has drawn comparisons to the recordings of Ralph Towner and John Abercrombie.Teja Gerken, "Triptych" , Acoustic Guitar Magazine, May 2012 Edition
Kastning toured Europe a second time in March 2012 with Szabo and Major in support of Triptych with a concert entitled "Kontaktus". The concert was a melding of sound poetry"Kontaktus"Fuge Produkcio, March 2012 and movement featuring two Hungarian dancers from the Hungarian National Ballet, Timea Gyorke and Judith Szamosi.Dehir "Nyerjen jegyet az akusztikus zene királyának koncertjére a Dehir.hu játékán!" Dehir, March 22, 2012 The tour included dates in Budapest, Debrecen and Vacz. In Vac Kastning and Szabo recorded a duo album entitled "The Book of Crossing", which was released on Greydisc Records later the same year, as well as a trio album with Major, "Becoming", which was released in March 2013.
In 2012, Kastning released a duo album with longtime musical collaborator Carl Clements entitled "Dreaming As I Knew". The album represents various improvised contemporary classical duets with combinations of Kastning's guitar family instruments and Clements multiple wind instruments.Mark S. Tucker, "FAME Review: Dreaming as I Knew" FAME, April 2012
In 2012 Kastning also released a duo album with famous bassist, Michael Manring entitled "In Winter" an exploratory album of improvised compositions."Review: In Winter" Guitarbench Magazine, Issue 4, 2012
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.Maureen King, "Kevin Kastning: An Artist at Peace" , The Middlesex Beat, December 2004
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.Daniel Roberts Stringwords In 2007 Kastning commissioned at 14 string contraguitarBarry Cleveland, "Classical Spotlight", Guitar Player Magazine, Holiday Edition 2010 from Roberts which was completed in 2010. A second Contraguitar was commissioned from Roberts in 2011 to be utilized in alternate tunings.Irene Trudel, "An Interview and Live Studio Performance with Kevin Kastning and Carl Clements" WFMU Radio, April 30, 2012 In 2012 Roberts converted one of Kastning's contraguitars to a 17-string, 9-course contraguitar.Robert Silverstein, "Kevin Kastning AND Mark Wingfield", Music Web Express 3000, November 2012
In 2012 Kastning collaborated with Alistair Hay of the Irish company, Emerald Guitars, to conceive of and build a 30 string double-necked guitar. The guitar model was named "Triocha," the Kevin Kastning Signature Model, and combines an 18-string Contra guitar neck with a 12-string alto guitar neck providing an unorthodox tonal range. This instrument is known as the Kevin Kastning Signature Series 30-string Contra-Alto guitar
In 2013, Kastning again collaborated with Alistair Hay of the Irish company, Emerald Guitars, to conceive of and build the 36-string Double Contraguitar. This doubleneck instrument consists of two 18-string Contraguitars used in two different tunings. This instrument provides both an extended range and an unorthodox harmonic palette. The 36-string Double Contraguitar and the 30-string Contra-Soprano guitar have become Kastning's main instruments for both concerts and recordings. This instrument is known as the Kevin Kastning Signature Series 36-string Double Contraguitar.
In 2014, Kastning once again collaborated with Alistair Hay of the Irish company, Emerald Guitars, to conceive of and build the 15-string Extended Classical guitar. This is a classical nylon-string guitar with six double-courses, and three bass single courses. It also features a Multi-scale. This is known as the Kevin Kastning Signature Series 15-string Extended Classical guitar.
In 2017-2018, Kastning again collaborated with Alistair Hay of the Irish company, Emerald Guitars, to conceive of and build the 17-string Hybrid Extended Classical guitar. This is a double-course classical guitar, with each course consisting of one nylon string and one steel string. The low sub-A or sub-B course is the only single course. It also features a Multi-scale. This is known as the Kevin Kastning Signature Series 17-string Hybrid Extended Classical guitar .
In 2023, Kastning again collaborated with Alistair Hay of Emerald Guitars, to conceive of and build the 24-string Double Sub-Contraguitar, and the 24-string Double Contraguitar. Kastning later modified the 24-string Double Contraguitar into the 30-string Double Contraguitar, which features six triple courses.
In 2024-2025, Kastning once again collaborated with Alistair Hay of Emerald Guitars, to conceive of and build the 28-string Double Sub-Contraguitar, which features two triple courses.
Kastning resides in Maine US.
Awards and honors Resonance, The Perfect Sound magazine's Top 10 Albums of 2007Mark S. Tucker, "Perfect Sound Forever 2007 Writer's Poll" Perfect Sound Forever, December 2007 Parabola, NPR one of The Best Albums of the Year for 2009"Pushing the Envelope Best Recordings of 2009" New Music Reblog, December 2009