Zildjian Logo — Avedis Zildjian Company is the largest manufacturer of cymbals worldwide. Founded in 1623, with 388 years of existence Zildjian remains today as one of the oldest operating companies in the world. It also sells related accessories batteries, such as sticks and cymbals.
The first Zildjian cymbals were created in 1618 in Istanbul by a man Armenian named Avedis, who, while searching for a way to turn dross into gold, created an alloy combining tin, copper and silver in the same plate that could produce musical sounds without being pieces. Avedis Zildjian took the pseudonym of the word Turkish ” zil + ci “(cymbals / seller), and the suffix Armenian “yan” (son of), thus, an industry beginning in 1623, details of the product have been secretly for generations. It became a family tradition that only children of the president of the company, they could know the manufacturing process.
The Zildjian company, spent to develop rattles to frighten the enemies of the Ottoman Empire to manufacture their cymbals as musical instruments in the nineteenth century. In 1908, Avedis Zildjian III migrated to Boston, while Kerope Zilcan continued to make cymbals in Turkey under the name of K. Zildjian. In 1923, the Republic of Turkey was established and the name of Constantinople was officially changed to Istanbul, resulting in changing the company name of K. Zildjian Constantinople to K. Zildjian Istanbul. Around 1926, Aram Zildjian signed an exclusive U.S. distribution agreement for dishes K. Zildjian with Gretsch.
Besides cymbals, the Avedis Zildjian Company also manufactures products like sticks and other accessories for batteries. The sticks are currently produced in Alabama and are used by most endosadores Zildjian. The sticks of the line Artist Series allows these partners to customize their own chopsticks to be then sold to the public. The Avedis Zildjian Company continues to produce cymbals today in Norwell, Massachusetts. Armand Zildjian was the director of the company after the death of Avedis until his death in 2002 . The company is now operated by the Daughters of Armand Zildjian Craigie and Debbie Zildjian.