The Zildjian Company: 400 Years in the Making
Zildjian cymbals are some of the most recognizable instruments in the drumming world. Presently located nearby Boston, MA in Norwell, Massachusetts, the Zildjian family has been manufacturing and innovating cymbals for about 400 years. But modern music has evolved far beyond what instrument manufacturers could have ever imagined hundreds of years ago. However, Zildjian cymbals consistently meet and exceed the demands of modern drummers of all different styles.
Royal Beginnings
The first Zildjian cymbals were crafted by an Armenian alchemist by the name of Avedis I in 1618. While trying to find a way to combine other metals into gold, he stumbled across a strong, flexible bronze alloy made of copper, tin, and silver. While metal percussion instruments have been produced for thousands of years leading up to this point, Avedis’s alloy was far more durable and created much more pleasant sounds. Previous bronze alloys were very brittle and could shatter like glass if not properly used or cared for.
The ruler of the Ottoman Empire at the time, Osman II, noticed the innovation and invited Avedis I to manufacture cymbals for the royal court and military bands. Osman II also bestowed upon Avedis the surname “Zildjian,” meaning “cymbal maker.” In 1623, after a change in royal power, the new ruler of the Ottoman Empire granted Avedis the freedom to leave the palace and start his own business. Avedis set up shop in a town called Samatya, just outside of Constantinople (present-day Istanbul). Thus, the Zildjian Company was born.
Zildjian’s primary customers were members of the mehter (pictured below), which were huge bands that accompanied members of the empire’s elite military division, known as janissaries. These military bands also behaved as an extension of Ottoman classical music. In addition to their role in battle, they would routinely perform for the royal court and were important cultural figures.
Zildjian also conducted business with Greek and Armenian churches, belly dancers of the Ottoman harem, and other regional religious groups. The style of cymbals Zildjian manufactured became appropriately known as Turkish cymbals. They differed from other Asian styles of cymbals and gongs in terms of thickness (Turkish cymbals are much thinner), shape, tone, and durability.
But significant changes to the political landscape of the Ottoman Empire during the earlier 1800s forced the Zildjian brand to explore new markets. Janissaries, who were responsible for overthrowing and assassinating perhaps one too many previous rulers, were disbanded and largely executed in 1826. Not only was their erasure harmful to Zildjian’s business, but it signified political turmoil from which the Zildjian family wanted to distance itself.
To access a new market, Avedis II (the owner of the company at the time) built a 25-foot schooner to sail his creations to various trade shows, including the 1851 Great Exhibition in London. Traveling beyond his home country allowed European musicians to access the unique and innovative sounds of Zildjian cymbals. In 1865, Avedis II died, leaving the company to his brother, Kerope II. Kerope II developed the original K Zildjian line of cymbals, which are still used by some classical orchestras today.
Zildjian Comes to the U.S.
By the end of the 19th century, tensions between Armenia and Turkey forced the Zildjian family to flee the region. Some members of the Zildjian family, including Avedis III (pictured right), settled in Boston, Massachusetts in 1910. The head of the family at the time, Aram Zildjian, operated another factory in Bucharest until arriving in the United States in 1927. By 1929, the Avedis Zildjian Company was officially formed in the states, manufacturing cymbals in Quincy, Massachusetts.
Conveniently, jazz music was rapidly gaining popularity around the nation and the Zildjians were prepared to innovate new instruments for this new style of music. Avedis III sought out early swing drummers, including Gene Krupa, to get their input on what jazz drummers demanded from their instruments. Jazz drummers preferred the tone of the thinner Turkish-style cymbals over Asian-made and American-made counterparts. But they asked Zildjian to produce even thinner cymbals to add responsiveness and clarity to the tone.
Throughout the 1930s, Avedis III worked closely alongside the most innovative drummers of the day, particularly Chick Webb and Papa Jo Jones. While widespread racism negatively influenced the public’s perception of jazz since many of the musicians were black, Avedis III experienced discrimination first hand as an Armenian living in Turkey during his youth and asserted that discrimination has no place at the Zildjian Company. Working alongside Webb and Jones, Avedis III refined the hihats and ride cymbal, and developed “paper thin” crashes, splash cymbals, and sizzle cymbals, which included rivets attached via holes drilled into the cymbal.
Zildjian in the Modern Era
Sales continued to grow in step with the further development of jazz throughout the 1940s and 50s, but the rise of rock music catapulted Zildjian ahead of any competition. In 1964, The Beatles performed on the Ed Sullivan show. Ringo Starr performed on Ludwig drums with a set of Zildjian cymbals. Demand exploded like never before. By the end of the year, Zildjian had 90,000 cymbals on backorder.
A second factory was opened in 1968 in New Brunswick, Canada to reinforce manufacturing. In 1973, the bulk of Zildjian cymbal manufacturing relocated from Quincy to Norwell, Massachusetts. In 1977, Avedis III named Armand Zildjian the president of the company. Armand’s brother, Robert, split from the business after a heated family and legal debate toward the end of the 1970s. Robert took control of the Canadian factory and went on to start a competing brand, Sabian cymbals, in 1981. Zildjian and Sabian are two of the largest cymbal manufacturers today. As a result of the feud, all Zildjian cymbals are produced in the Norwell factory.
Nowadays, the company still boasts one of the biggest names in the drumming world while still working closely with modern musicians to meet the demands of drummers of all styles. Zildjian is currently run by Craigie and Debbie Zildjian, the 14th generation of Zildjians to lead the business. The 15th generation of Zildjians have already begun training to take the company’s reigns, making it the oldest family-owned company in the United States.
By taking drum lessons and becoming a part of the music scene in Boston, MA, our students and instructors actively participate in the long and still-developing history of the Zildjian Company and cymbals as a whole. Who’d have thought that a thin, shiny metal disc had so much historical and cultural significance?
All of our instructors here at Loudlands Music Lab draw from years of experience studying, playing, and performing on the drums in every capacity imaginable. Interested in starting your drumming journey or taking your skills to the next level? Schedule a trial lesson to get closer to your goals!