The transmission of knowledge from one person to the next preserves our tradition. One is the factor of the apprenticeship system that is very unique to the company. What do you think are the key factors in how you create this “Lyon & Healy sound” your harps are known for?ĪF: It is a combination of a lot of factors. HC: Well, you know, all of the world’s great instrument makers really set themselves apart by their unique sound.
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That is one of the unique characteristics of this company, and so we are celebrating that Lyon & Healy sound that is recognizable around the world. In creating the Style 150, do you feel like you were trying to create a snapshot of the Lyon & Healy sound this anniversary year?ĪF: Yes, we feel that one of the characteristics of Lyon & Healy is that, through innovations that they made (they were very innovative at the beginning of the company), they generated a tradition of what the Lyon & Healy sound is.
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HC: It sounds like it will be an amazing time, especially for harpists who will be able to experience all this. In the end we thought, “What are we going to do for harps and harpists in the city of Chicago?” We thought the best approach was to have a week where we will be presenting our harps in landmarks of Chicago and inviting dignitaries of the city as well as harpists from all around the world to come, and we will have a big celebration of what we are. We will be showing that during the week as well. Another part (of the celebration) is to take some of the unique Lyon & Healy instruments-like the first 23, the first Salzedo, this type of thing-and create an exhibition of what we’ve built through the 150 years. During our anniversary week, this historical collection will be on display for everyone to see. Then we built some special Style 17 models that we will be introducing as well during the week’s celebration that we’re going to have.Īnd then we started looking through our archives and trying to understand and build our history, looking back at all the brochures, catalogs, and different materials that we have.
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So we went to the extreme of finding that specific color that he used to use, and then built a harp in the Salzedo red for that occasion. Salzedo used to have a special red that he used. So that was one project.Īnother project was to build other instruments that are special, so we’re building a Salzedo in red. We’re going to build it only through our 150th year-it was introduced at the end of 2013 and will be built until the end of 2014. And that’s how the project started and how we developed the instrument. But then someone came in a meeting saying, “Why don’t we give the sound of Lyon & Healy a sort of celebration?” So then we started thinking about building a harp that would be very unique, but simple enough that everyone can afford. One of the concepts was to go to an architect and try to create something that shows what we represent these days. We had a lot of ideas at the beginning of this project. Harp Column: In a couple of months, a lot of harpists are going to be descending on Chicago-tell us a little bit about Lyon & Healy’s 150th birthday celebration and what you have in store.Īntonio Forero: The first thing we did was to create an instrument that we have called the Style 150. As the famous harpmaker celebrates its 150th birthday this year, Harp Column caught up with its president and CEO Antonio Forero earlier this spring to talk about the company that has been a cornerstone of the harp community for more than a century. In a city that dates back 177 years, Lyon & Healy holds the distinction of being one of Chicago’s oldest businesses. Antonio Forero and Lyon & Healy Harps As Lyon & Healy celebrates its sesquicentennial, president Antonio Forero reflects on the company’s rich history. The harpmaker has been in business since 1864. Lyon & Healy employees on the roof of their factory and showroom in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood.