Founded in 1994, McKenna Flutes, Inc. considers every instrument created to be a work of art. Mr. McKenna puts something of himself into each instrument, while keeping in mind that the instrument is for the player. Chris McKenna, president, is a flutemaker, inventor, composer and musician. He has designed and manufactured professional flutes for more than 20 years and continues to explore, research and develop new ways of working with sound to create non-ordinary states and reveal mind-body relationships, as well as researching applied physics and acoustics. Chris has studied with John Moses, Jimmy Meyer, Andre Lizotte, members of St. Louis and Boston Symphonies and attended Berklee College of Music.
Research in materials has always been an important part of McKenna Flutes’ journey. The dynamic flexibility between density and other variables has always been a pursuit as evidenced by Chris’ research into mouthpieces made from a wide variety of materials including nickel, brass, titanium, lead, wood, phenolic, paper, paper mache, bamboo, rhubarb, PVC, ABS, graphite, acrylic, terra cotta, porcelain, lead crystal, quartz and others. McKenna flutes has been on the forefront of proving that the combination of flute headjoint and body, as purchased from one of the major companies, can be improved upon by finding the perfect balance between the individual's technique, headjoints from other manufacturers and the flute body. This is in contrast to assuming that the capability of the flute body is idealized when paired with the manufacturer's provided mouthpiece. Concentrating on headjoints, Mckenna Flutes has developed a range of designs and materials with the versatility to be married with all makes of flutes as well as the flexibility to accommodate both student and professional musicians.