Alum Peter Kyvelos, at 73; Hinged Craftsmanship with Love of the Oud

BOSTON GLOBE -- Though Mr. Kyvelos studied art history and fine arts at San Francisco State University, he was more entranced with his work outside the classroom building instruments. A sculpture he created might be beautiful, but his instruments communicated more directly with audiences. An oud “has a whole life of its own,” he told the Globe in 2001, his voice rising in emphasis. “It doesn’t just sit there.” While at college, he also made and sold jewelry, worked as a carpenter, and apprenticed with a violinmaker “who said, ‘when you finish, you come and work for me,’ ” his wife recalled. “Peter said, ‘No, I want to make the oud.’ ”