Flutists blows to his 3rd Grammy

As a teenager, Wouter Kellerman walked the corridors of Hoërskool Linden and sat in its classrooms, wondering what awaited him beyond its walls. One can bet, of all his desired future successes, none included him walking on the 67th Annual Grammy Awards red carpet, on February 2, to accept his third Grammy Award.

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He described the moment in one word: Surreal. “Winning a Grammy is an incredible honour, and to receive my third is beyond anything I could have imagined.” He accepted the award for Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album for his album, Triveni, which he collaborated on with cellist Eru Matsumoto and vocalist Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon. “It’s deeply meaningful that the music we worked so hard on is being recognised, and I’m incredibly grateful for the journey, the collaborations, and the power of music to connect us all,” said Kellerman.

Kellerman shared how this win was a testament to music having the power to heal and unite an audience. Saying that Triveni was created with the intention of soothing, uplifting, and bringing people together through sound. “The blending of different musical traditions allows listeners from various backgrounds to find a sense of connection.” This, as the music carries an energy of peace and healing, something they felt deeply during the creative process, and which they hope translates to those who experience it.

For Kellerman, each piece on Triveni carries its own unique energy, and he loves each song for what it brings, but if pushed to distinguish his personal favourite, it would the song A Journey Within, as he finds it to be very moving, compelling, and a great combination of different cultures.

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The award winning flutist started his musical journey at Hoërskool Linden where he found himself to be the only boy at the time to take music as a subject. There, he was provided with the solid foundation in music to build on. While studying engineering at the University of Johannesburg, he made sure to still play the flute everyday, and made sure to take a very active part in the cultural life at the university. This, he says, helped balance all that left brain activity that engineering requires.

Every morning, this three time US Billboard No1 artist wakes up to the thrill of creating something beautiful and sending it into the world. “If the music resonates with people and earns recognition, that’s an incredible honour, but the primary aim is always to make something meaningful.”

Kellerman said South Africa holds within it a huge number of passionate flute players and musicians, and to them he hopes to show there are no limits to where their art can take them. “The flute is often not considered as a mainstream instrument, but I’ve been able to carve out a space for it on the global stage. My goal is to inspire the next generation, to embrace their own unique artistic voices, experiment with different genres, and realise that they, too, can make an impact through music.”

Always the creator, this year sees Kellerman having several exciting projects in the works, as he plans on single collaborations with a number of local artists across different genres. There’s also a new music video coming soon from the music of Triveni. For him, the year is all about expanding his musical horizons and continuing to push creative boundaries.

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