AN instrument created by an Armidale man will be in the spotlight at a concert at the New England Regional Art Museum tonight.
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Peter Biffin has been creating bespoke string instruments called tarhus for about 20 years.
His most recent adaptation of the instrument, the “undachin” tarhu, will be one of several instruments used by Ensemble Offspring in their concert In Between The Keys at NERAM.
Making each tarhu takes Mr Biffin about six weeks of full-time work, using mostly hand tools.
Mr Biffin said his idea to create the tarhu stemmed from his desire to be able to play a certain kind of instrument.
“I wanted something that would play both eastern and western music and there wasn’t anything that could, so I just gradually changed existing instruments and combined elements,” he said.
“I never really expected anyone else to want it but then gradually other people came wanting them so that’s basically what I do now.”
Mr Biffin said the Ensemble Offspring had approached him to design a form of tarhu that could be held under the chin, prompting its name.
“They’d had an interest in the tarhu for a long time but they kept on stumbling on the fact that the string players in their ensembles are essentially violin players,” he said.
“So there were quite a lot of changes required.
“The aspect of the very thin wooden cone being the thing that made the sound, that was absolutely essential.
“But the spherical body that I’d been using simply wouldn’t work held under the chin.”
About 90 per cent of Mr Biffin’s tarhu sales are to international clients in places including the United States, Greece, Crete and other eastern European countries.
The performance will be held from 7pm tonight at the art museum.
Tickets will be available at the door.