Turkish and American family of cymbal makers comprising the Avedis Zildjian Co. of Norwell, Massachusetts, and K. Zildjian of Istanbul. The family traces its lineage back to Avedis Zildjian, a Constantinople alchemist who in 1623 discovered a process for treating alloys. He applied this process to the making of cymbals, an already flourishing craft in Turkey. The details of his secret were closely guarded and have been passed down through the family. For three centuries, with the exception of the short period of political exile of Aram Zildjian, Zildjian cymbals have continued to be manufactured in Turkey (see fig.1; see also Cymbals, fig.1 ).
In 1928 Aram, rehabilitated in Constantinople, contemplated retirement, and (being childless) passed the family secret to his nephew Avedis (b Dec 1889; d 8 Feb 1979) who lived in the USA. In 1929 Avedis established a foundry in North Quincy, later moving to Norwell. Soon after World War II, Avedis initiated his sons Armand (b 18 Feb 1921) and Robert into the craft; they continued the tradition in the Norwell factory until December 1981, when Armand became the Norwell company’s president (retaining the trade names A. Zildjian and K. Zildjian). The firm passed to Armand’s daughter Craigie in 1996. Robert established a new company, Sabian Ltd, in Meductic, New Brunswick, Canada, for the manufacture of Sabian cymbals. Zildjian and Sabian Ltd are now great competitors in the lucrative cymbal industry.
The brilliant and unique ‘Zildjian sound’ continues to be heard in the world’s greatest orchestras and dance bands and wherever cymbals are used. The metallurgical formula of Zildjian cymbals is known to be 80% copper and about 20% tin with the addition of a small amount of silver. The methods of casting, rolling, tempering and hammering are also no secret. What is not known, however, is the ingenious method of treating alloys in the cymbal casting process that was discovered in 1623. Zildjian now make cymbals of all types, two octaves of crotales, hand hammered gongs and a wide range of mallets.
BladesPI
T.R. Navin: ‘The World’s Leading Cymbal Maker: Avedis Zildjian Company’, Bulletin of the Business Historical Society, xxiii (1949), 196–206
JAMES BLADES/JAMES HOLLAND