History
Fourth-generation flute maker Kurt Gemeinhardt was brought to the United States from Markneukirchen, Germany, by George Bundy of Selmer USA which had recently relocated to Elkhart, Indiana. Working with Philip H. Marcil in the Selmer flute division, they copied the typical Louis Lot design for their flutes.[4]
Kurt's father had studied under Emil Rittershausen, who was trained by Theobald Boehm; thus, the instruments Gemeinhardt produces can trace their lineage to the creator of the Boehm system.[5]
In 1948, twenty years after Gemeinhardt immigrated, he founded the Kurt Gemeinhardt Company. Initially, the company crafted only very fine handmade flutes for professionals. However, the company moved to Elkhart and expanded in 1952, producing all levels of silver flutes. Beginner student flutes were also developed at this time; as Gemeinhardt's reputation for fine beginner flutes became a hallmark of the industry, these flutes eventually became the bread and butter of the corporation.
The Gemeinhardt Company is very popular in the music field, although they have not always followed the mainstream. In the mid '70s, Albert Cooper modified the placement of toneholes on the flute so it would match the common tuning of A at 440 Hz. Before this, many flutes were made with an older A435Hz tone hole placement (scale), despite being designed to play at A440Hz through the use of a shortened headjoint.[6]
Many flute companies recognized this change and decided to make their flutes the same way, but Gemeinhardt was slow to modify its design. This in turn made notes played in the higher register on an old Gemeinhardt flute sharp and the lower register flat, which could cause issues for beginner flautists using an old Gemeinhardt (pre-21st century). With practice, they could learn to play so the notes are correct, or they could consider buying a newer Gemeinhardt.
However, the design of Gemeinhardt's flutes have changed often and have been updated and redesigned accordingly.[7] At the National Flute Association's 2014 convention in Chicago, Gemeinhardt introduced a new line of flutes, the Kurt Gemeinhardt Generation Series.[8] Consisting entirely of American-made conservatory and professional flutes, the Generation Series was developed by Tom Lacy and Dave Siekman.[9] These flutes utilize the RS2012 Scale invented by famous flutists Trevor Wye, William Bennett and Eldred Spell. This scale design is claimed to be the most accurate on the market.[9][10]
In 1997, Gemeinhardt acquired the Roy Seaman Piccolo Company.[11] In addition to flutes and piccolos, Gemeinhardt also has a line of saxophones and clarinets.
