Like a harvester gathering vintage grapes, Paul Imholte collects the wonder of acoustical string music and shares that beauty with audiences. Known as a “stringman," he sings and plays nearly a dozen traditional instruments. Paul performs at festivals, schools and concerts across the United States. For the last ten years, Paul has been composing and recording instrumental music for the hammered dulcimer and songs about life in the Midwest.

He began playing on his grandfather's fiddle. In high school, he and his older brother, Frank, formed a dance band that played most weekends throughout Minnesota. From those early days of playing, Paul learned that music is a courting and dancing charmer, whose welcome seldom wears thin.

Paul's featured instruments is the hammered dulcimer. The hammered dulcimer is an ancient string instrument from the Middle East. It is played with light mallets or hammers. Along with the hammered dulcimer and fiddle, Paul plays the guitar, banjo, mandolin, viola, harmonica, jaw harp and spoons.

Along with his solo work, Paul is a co-founding member of two different ensembles. He founded The Tarveys with singer Karie Oberg to perform and record farm songs. In 2000, Paul joined a group of musicians playing Celtic music. This group became Ring of Kerry. This five member band plays a rollicking and robust blend of jigs, reels, hornpipes and sing fun-loving songs of sailing and traveling the wide world.

Performances have taken Paul from New York to California. He has released solo CDs of hammered dulcimer instrumental music, and songs for children and adults.