about me

I was fortunate to live for short periods in Germany, the UK and Ireland.  During this time I would sometimes see mechanical street organ grinders in the old city squares.  I found these instruments and their history fascinating.  When returning back to the US, I missed this aspect of European street performance.  After researching a bit, I found an organ builder in Austria and commissioned a small 20 note busker organ so that I might share this tradition with folks back in the USA.  I hope you find it as interesting as I do!

Organ hand built by Christian Wittmann Orgelbau:  Christian Wittmann Orgelbau was founded in 2009 and specializes in the manufacture and restoration of mechanical organs.  The particular organ I commissioned is dual format, thus it plays both traditional paper roll music as well as having a MIDI controller which can hold many more songs.  The wood is African Padauk. Some pictures of its construction below.