Links

Information About Kanteles

Carl Rahkonen makes his doctoral dissertation on the kantele available on his website. Carl is a music librarian and professor at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. His research interests include music bibliography, fieldwork and sound archiving, Finnish, Scandinavian, Baltic, Russian and Celtic folk music; and folk instruments - especially the Finnish kantele.

Jussi Laasanen: This page contains information on the history of the kantele, tuning, playing, and construction.

The World Music Tradition Project: This page includes info on the history, construction, decoration and playing technique of the kantele.

Kantele Groups/Associations

Want to chat about kanteles? Check out Kate Laity's group on Yahoo by clicking here.

Kantele Laulu, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of the kantele, as well as other aspects of Finnish music and culture.

Kantele Association Fansite This is a Facebook page for fans of the Kantele Assoication.

Kantele Makers

Gerry Henkel is the major supplier of kanteles and jouhikkos to North Americans. He builds traditional Finnish kanteles and jouhikkos in a small shop near Duluth, Minnesota and approaches making instruments as a craft and an art. In a workshop I attended, almost every single person was playing one of his instruments and they sounded fantastic! I own several of his kanteles and I especially like the mini-ten string he made for me.

Koistinen Kanteles are known world-wide. The company is based in North Karelia and makes everything from small five strings to concert kanteles. You can find used kanteles for sale on their site, as well.

Michael King makes some of the most beautiful looking and sounding kanteles that I've ever seen. They have delicate lines and beautiful inlays. I own one of Michael's pentatonic kanteles and love the warm, rich sound of the music.

Jussi Laasanen makes and repairs kanteles and violins in the Perho river valley part of Finland, carrying on the tradition of his father and grandfather.

Pekka Lovikka has worked as a professional kantele builder since 1983. His company makes the Lovikka brand kantele and they deliver mostly in Finland, but also in Europe, USA and the rest of the world. I have one of his five string kanteles, as well as several of his piccolo kanteles. Not only do they sound good, they hold their tuning longer than any other kantele I've played.

Soitinrakentajat AmF is a Finnish cooperative of 7 craftspersons. In addition to building instruments, they sell something called a molliponsi that allows you to change a 5 string kantele quickly from major to minor and back - while playing. This is the company where I bought my first kantele and I play it almost every day.

Charles T. Young Charles Young is a Houghton, MI kantele maker who makes 5, 11 and 15 string kanteles. Prices range from $200 - $400 (not including shipping or carrying case). His kanteles have walnut or cherry solid sides, Finnish birch ply back and spruce tops. For more info, you can email him at ctyoung@mtu.edu.

Teachers and Workshops

Online Teachers

Michael King has a five part video "course" on how to play the 5 string kantele posted on YouTube.

Michael King's instructional video for 10 string kanteles is also posted on YouTube.

California

Tiffany Moon teaches in Caifornia. You can email her at rasputia@yahoo.com.

Connecticut

Kasha Breau is a kantele teacher in Marlborough, Connecticut. You can email her at kantele@att.net.

Maine

Sarah Cummings-Ridge has been a music educator in Maine since 1989 and began the serious study of the kantele in 1998. She studied with Vilma Timonen and Pauliina Kauhanen in June 2000 when she attended the Ilomantsi Kantele Camp in Ilomantsi, Finland. Since November 2000, she's taught monthly workshops to a multi-aged group which has now evolved into The Maine Kantele Consort. Sarah teaches, plays, and performs with five, ten and 36-string kanteles She is available for workshops and performances and may be contacted via email at sarahcr@aol.com.

Michigan

Jill Sherman summers in Upper Michigan where she teaches the 5 string kantele to beginners. She learned to play at the Oriveden Opisto, Orivesi, Finland, from Hannu Saha and Rauno Nieminen, who were (at that time) visiting instructors from the Kaustinen Folk Music Institute. You can email her here.

Minnesota

Diane Jarvi is a kantele teacher and player in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Ohio

Linda and Harvey Horton: This couple teaches begining and intermediate 5 and 10 string kantele, plucking, chording and block style. Linda also teaches beginner big kantele Perho River Valley style. They both teach workshops. Their teachers have been Timo Väänänen, Cathy Cushing, Merja Soria and Joyce Hakala. The Hortons play with the Kantele Players of Lake Erie. You can email them here.

Washington

Valerie K. Blessley: Email. Valerie lives in Vancouver WA and teaches Perho River Valley style Finnish kantele. She performs with the NW kantele group Livakat, and the Finnish trio Soittorasia.

Performers and Songwriters

dianejarvi.com Diane Jarvi's home page. Diane is a singer, songwriter, guitar and kantele player from Minneapolis, Minnesota U.S.A., She sings and plays folk, jazz and world music and you can hear some samples here.

Eija Kankaanranta Eija Kankaanranta performs on the kantele as a soloist and chamber musician, focusing on contemporary music and improvisation.

Ed Hopf performs with the Baltimore Estonian Kannel Players. The kannel is the Estonian kantele. He plays a 37-string kannel, and 5-string kantele. You can contact him at: 323 Jodyway. Timonium, MD 21093. Phone: (410) 252-2326 or email at ehopf@bcpl.net

Kalifornia Kanteles Kalifornia Kanteles is a Los Angeles area group of about 10 people who enjoy playing the kantele together. They've played at the L.A.Finlandia Foundation annual meeting, the Thousand Oaks Scandanavian Festival, Diversity Day at the Federal Courthouse, and a Mothers Day service at the Finnish Lutheran Church. Merja Soria is their teacher and they have free music files you can download from their site.

Kantele The Karelian song- and dance ensemble Kantele is one of the oldest performing groups in Russia. This is their home page.

Sinikka Langeland This is the homepage of Sinikka Langeland, a Norwegian composer, folksinger and kanteleplayer.

Timo Väänänen This is the homepage of Timo Väänänen who is a member of Loituma, Taith, Matara and A' tre -ensembles and a part time teacher at the Sibelius Academy Folk Music Department in Helsinki. He's one of the most recognized kantele players in the world.

Wilho Saari performs in the State of Washington at folk festivals, weddings, anniversaries, church services, in rest homes, at funerals, and on many other occasions. You can reach him by email at kantele@willapabay.org.

Where To Find Kantele Music

Digelius Nordic Gallery This is the "Order Page" for Digelius Nordic Gallery. Scroll to the bottom to see music categories.

Inkoon Musiikki Led by Matti and Sinikka Kontio, this site says it has "almost everything for the kantele" including CD's, sheet music, tuners, and studio equipment. They also deliver their stuff outside Finland.

Kantele Dreams: by The Kantele Players of Lake Erie. If you like traditional Finnish folk music played traditionally, you'll enjoy this CD by Linda and Harvey Horton, Laura Malkamaki, and John Ollila. This group has a lot of energy which spills over into their music. Their interpretation of Satavuotinen sakka was particularly interesting and I was also impressed with the way they used a bow while playing the melody of the Kalevala Song...not an easy thing to do! How To Order: Send a check for $13 to C/O The Kantele Players of Lake Erie 1075 Riverside Dr, Painesville, OH 44077 or email Kanteleplayers@musician.com

Kantele Music: by Gerry Henkel. I like Gerry Henkel's music a lot. He's just plain fun to listen to, and he has an interesting and inventive style. According to Gerry, the tunes on this CD aren't formal compositions, but a type of improvisation. I just know that his music makes me smile. There's humor in some of his tunes, but that's not what I'm talking about. Gerry's music just puts you in a good place! All fourteen pieces on this CD were written by him. I Scratch, Therefore I Am is one of my favorites. Give him a listen...you won't regret it! How To Order: Send $10 cash, check or money order to Gerry at The Kantele Shop, 1541 Clover Valley Road, Duluth MN 55804 USA.

Keepers: by Koivun Kaiku. How often do you buy a cassette and discover that virtually every single song was worth the purchase price? This cassette by Koivun Kaiku, is one of my all time favorites. I bought it after hearing just one song, Käin Minä Kaunista Kangasta Myöten, and I was not disappointed by the rest of the music, either. Almost 2/3 of the songs are traditional melodies. Many of them are 5-string kantele melodies. All of them are beautifully performed. I love the harmonics in this group. My only complaint is that it's not on CD. I'm afraid I'll wear my cassette out! How To Order: Write to Joyce Hakala, 865 Lenox Ave., St.Paul, MN 55119 and ask for more info. She has other cassettes, as well!

Northside Young musicians from Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark and Sбmiland bring new ideas, arrangements, influences and instrumentation to the music and instruments of their ancestors. This site has audio excerpts, CDs, interviews, and articles.

Rootsworld Nordic Music - Finland: In addition to audio excerpts of music from CDs, this site contains a number of interesting interviews and articles as well as recording reviews.

Vilhon Vintiltä (From Willie's Attic): by Wilho Saari. Wilho Saari is one of my favorite kantele composers so I was pretty excited to learn about this CD which includes 23 of his own compositions as well as his interpretation of Kreeta Haapasalo's Mun kanteleeni. Haapasalo is Saari's great, great grandmother and it's obvious that he's inherited her ability to compose. I particularly loved his tune Koivukannel (Birchwood Harp) with its wood thumping rhythm and beautiful melody line. Saari plays a 36 string kantele on this CD which was lovely to hear, but I was even more interested in his five and ten string tunes since I'm very partial to the small kanteles. I especially liked hearing his versions of Potpourri and Sunrise since those are two of his songs that I like to play. (I found out that he plays Potpourri just a bit faster than I do!) This CD costs $15 and can be obtained from Wilho Saari at PO Box 111, Naselle, WA 98638 or FINNWARE 1116 Commercial St. Astoria, OR 97102.