Visitors to our city often express surprise at some of the riches they discover. Every city has features of which the inhabitants are justifiably proud. While we have serious issues to resolve in Kansas City, we also live in a city that is in many respects underestimated and undiscovered. Here’s a short list of my personal favorites: The Country Club Plaza; The National WWI Museum at the Liberty Memorial; the Nelson-Adkins Museum; The Steamboat Arabia Museum; the Truman Home and Library; First Fridays in the Crossroads District. I know I am leaving out many treasures. I bring up this topic, though, to announce that yesterday I discovered a fabulous hidden jewel in our home town.

While anyone who lives here would be familiar with the list above and could certainly add to it, I would venture that very few of you know about what I discovered yesterday unless you know what a luthier is. Do you? A luthier is someone who makes or repairs stringed instruments. Something very special is taking place in downtown Merriam on the city’s southwest side.

Cheryl and I have been subscribers to the Kansas City Symphony for many years and love the maturation and growth of the orchestra under Maestro Michael Stern. We are anxious to welcome another crown jewel of our city in just a couple of years as the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts opens its doors. Until yesterday, I knew of Misha Krutz as a member of the double bass section. He immigrated from Russian to Kansas City in 1976. For many years he was the stand partner of Steve Peters, who was tragically murdered in a home burglary in September of 2005 and whose funeral I had the honor of performing. I had also read a brief report somewhere that Misha and his son Anton were making some stringed instruments. They have another partner, Rick Williams, a master craftsman/designer.

“That’s great,” I thought. I had no idea.

Last week I met an old friend for breakfast who is a financial consultant. In the course of conversation he told me about a client of his who had also become a good friend — Misha Krutz. My friend suddenly took on an emotional tone and began to share Misha and Anton’s passion — to make a symphonic set. Even if you know what a luthier is, you may not have absorbed what I just wrote — a complete symphonic set. No living human being has even seen or heard a symphonic set, a complete collection of the 50-60 strings of a symphonic orchestra — violins, violas, celli, and double basses. The last time such a feat was accomplished was under commission for the King of Spain over 300 years ago. The man who did it was Antonio Stradivari (as in the maker of the immortal violins we call “Stradivarius”).

Every fine stringed instrument has a unique character, timbre and loudness. Many factors go into an instrument’s special sound — some scientific and some pure alchemy. Good instruments are made by reputable firms in several places, but few ever achieve the reputation of being able to consistently produce instruments that can satisfy the talent and demands of great soloists and members of major orchestras. Whatever it is, KC Strings on Merriam Drive has found it. My friend had arranged to bring in lunch, sit down and hear the vision and then a tour of the facility. Honestly, I was not prepared for what I found.

KC Stings opened in 1992 and already world class musicians are discovering and playing their instruments. Do you have any idea how rare that is? People who are of solo and concertmaster class are looking for foundations to help them buy, lease or borrow some 300-year-old Italian instrument (and there are other great stringed instruments in addition to the Strads). The wood, construction and specially formulated ground and varnish comprise the “secret” of wonderful instruments, and few stumble across the right combination. Imagine what it means for a luthier’s credibility when someone of the caliber of the concertmaster (first violin and leader of the orchestra) of Sweden’s Gothenberg’s Symphony flies to Kansas City to pick up his new violin. Other members of some of the world’s great orchestras are playing instruments made in Kansas City. Comparisons are already being made to a sound quality similar to the Stradivari or other great Italian strings. If you had a Stradivarius, where would you send it to be repaired? Some are choosing KC Stings.

Misha and Rick received Arturo, our worship pastor, and me as though we were family. Two very different yet complementary personalities, both of them spoke with contagious passion. Anton was not in the day we visited. Anton is the master luthier, and you can read all about this fascinating company on their excellent website here. The enterprise is spread through several buildings in downtown Merriam. One enters the main storefront and is immediately surrounded by gorgeous stringed instruments hanging everywhere. They have a music school off to one side and sell instruments of all prices. They explained that the music school, repairs, school and beginner instruments are all to maintain a level of business to finance their passion of making world class quality stringed instruments that will be played for generations to come.

Misha picked up a cello and began to run a bow across the strings. He did the same with a bass and a violin. I was a horn player in my youth and know absolutely nothing about strings, but I have heard my share of orchestras, famous soloists and a few of the great Stradivari. I don’t know how to describe to you the sound that I heard literally jump out from these incredible instruments. I can only compare it to your first look at HDTV.

Why a symphonic set? It is speculated that the sound of instruments made to the same standards by the same luthiers would produce a sound that would be unique in its resonance and sound. Not only would all the instruments in a single section be matched, all the strings, violins through basses would come together in what would approach a perfect blend. Of course, no one has ever heard such a thing. When symphonic sets were made centuries ago, there was no way to record the sound. The closest approximation to what this would be like was a performance by the New European Strings, a chamber orchestra, in a 1997 Seattle concert on Krutz stringed instruments. You can read the review on their site. Wouldn’t it be great to see the first symphonic set in over three centuries made right here in Kansas City? If you know of someone with deep pockets who would be interested in helping to fund a project like this, I am sure that the folks at KC Strings would love to talk!

My mind is still spinning from my time at KC Strings, and I have given it a permanent place on my list of favorite treasures of Kansas City. How about you? Do you have any hidden KC treasure you would like to share?