ABOUT Kai Stensgaard

SESSION TITLE: The Aluphone & The Six Mallet Grip

VIRTUAL SESSION DATE & TIME: Coming soon…

Kai Stensgaard was born in Denmark in 1952. He studied percussion at the Royal Danish Academy of Music and later pursued advanced marimba studies in New York City with L.H. Stevens. 

KS is internationally recognized as a leading concert marimba artist and award-winning composer. In 2021, his Concerto for Marimba & Orchestra won an award at the Universal Marimba Composition Competition in Belgium, and in 2022, his Concerto for Timpani & Orchestra won an award at the Italy Percussion Composition Competition. His compositions and arrangements have been performed worldwide. KS has given concerts and clinics in Europe, the US, South America, Taiwan, and Mexico. 

KS is one of the pioneers in six-mallet playing and has composed numerous works for six mallets. Among these are Mexican Suite and Hexagram for marimba and orchestra. For solo marimba, notable pieces include Salsa Mexicana, Zita, and Spanish Dance, among others. He is the author of the method for six-mallet playing called The Six Mallet Grip and the marimba method Advanced Marimba Technique. KS has released 7 CDs and a DVD showcasing his compositions and personal marimba style. 

In 2012, he and engineer Michael Hansen invented a completely new mallet instrument called the Aluphone. KS is signature mallets artist at Salyers Percussion.