Meet Garry Kvistad, founder of Woodstock Chimes and a professional musician. Garry Kvistad earned a Bachelor of Music from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and a Masters of Music from Northern Illinois University, where he studied music, art and physics in the pursuit of building musical instruments. In 2020 Garry was inducted into the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame. He joins celebrates such as Ringo Starr, Jack DeJohnette, Mickey Hart, Buddy Rich, and Gene Krupa to name a few.
JUNE 2021 Exciting news for music fans and Woodstock Chimes fans alike! A new Nexus Percussion – So Percussion album has been released and is available here: https://bit.ly/3q36HmN
Featuring our own Garry Kvistad, founder, and Stacey Bowers, president, of Woodstock Chimes, it celebrates the music of Steve Reich with all-new recordings of some of his seminal works, including Garry’s arrangement of “Mallet Phase,” (a version of “Piano Phase”) on instruments designed by Garry and tuned to just intonation. Two tracks were recorded in Garry’s studio here at Woodstock Chimes headquarters.
Performers are: Russell Hartenberger, Bob Becker, Bill Cahn, Garry Kvistad, Eric Cha-Beach, Adam Sliwinski, Jason Treuting, Stacey Bowers, Martha Cluver, David Degge, Luz Carimé Santa-Coloma, Beth Meyers, John Stapleton, Yumi Tamashiro, Daisy Press, Midori Koga and Gregory Oh.
Treat yourself to some amazing music today, available as a digital album and limited edition CD!
JULY 2020 During this time of a global pandemic, racial unrest, and economic uncertainty, there is a peaceful serenity from
the soothing sounds (the natural harmonic overtone series) of the “Healing
Chime,” made by Woodstock Percussion. The man behind those musical chimes is Garry Kvistad, not only a master tuner and instrument builder, but a longtime performing percussionist and champion of the arts. “I’ve known from a young age that good sounds are healing,” he explains,
“and I’ve made the study of music and sounds my life’s work.”
In addition to founding Woodstock Chimes, Kvistad—a self-described “old hippie” who has spent the past four decades in New York’s Hudson Valley—has been a member of three historic ensembles:
the Blackearth Percussion Group, Steve Reich and Musicians, and Nexus.
Garry Kvistad joined the internationally-acclaimed percussion ensemble NEXUS in the Fall of 2002 when John Wyre, one of the group's original members, retired. He has been performing and recording with NEXUS co-founders Bob Becker and Russell Hartenberger since joining Steve Reich & Musicians in 1980. Garry is one of 18 musicians to win a Grammy award for the 1998 recording of Steve Reich's Music for 18 Musicians.
Due to the coronavirus, all engagements have been postponed. Check back for updates.
Garry posts wonderful stories about music, performing, his passions and occasionally about his family. Everyone loves when he shows off one of the "toys" in his vast collection of musical instruments.
Check out Garry's blogMy wife, Diane, and I had been living in the Woodstock, NY, area for over three years in 1983. We had founded our company, Woodstock Chimes, just a few years before, in 1979, and our tuned windchimes were steadily gaining in popularity. We had a two-year-old daughter, Tasa, and another one on the way. On a vacation to St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands for some R&R, we connected with a wonderful store on the main island of St. Thomas that was selling our chimes...View Garry's Blog.
Many of our customers ask which Woodstock Chime they should add to their collection. To help, Garry put together this list of chime combinations that have connections musically, culturally or historically. Check out “Sounds Good With” tab on individual product pages!
Check Out all Sonic Mixes!