Inspired by music and wood
- Based in Greece, Ageliki works with many clients from abroad
- Creating a musical instrument takes her a lot of time and effort
- For her, every piece of wood has its own distinct personality
Ageliki Lyssa started creating musical instruments professionally in 2017 when she opened her workshop. Mainly self taught, Ageliki learned her craft from personal research and experimentation while she also acquired valuable information from visiting and working with experienced instrument makers. “It is not a common profession for women and for this reason, in the beginning, it was not easy for someone to accept me as an apprentice. My father is a carpenter and this may have helped in terms of my contact with the wood.” In her new workshop in Litochoro Pierias, Ageliki creates mainly pear-shaped traditional folk stringed instruments of the Eastern Mediterranean such as laouto, bouzouki, lavta and oud. “This craft is emotionally fulfilling for me, but making a living out of it requires a lot of dedication and long hours of work.”
Interview
- Why did you choose this craft?
- Creating musical instruments is extremely complex, combining the science of sound with construction and music in general. I was fascinated by the craft’s complexity, the need to cultivate the mind and practice manual skills. Being involved with music myself made it even more interesting.
- When did you decide to follow this craft professionally?
- When studying as an Environmental Engineer in Xanthi, I was looking for an occupation where I could develop manual, mental and psychological skills alongside my love of music. A friend suggested making musical instruments – I had never seen an instrument workshop before, but I realised right away that this was what I had been looking for.
- Where do you draw inspiration from?
- Music is my main source of inspiration. I am fascinated by the musical traditions of the East and the Mediterranean regions and the traditional instruments they play. Also, wood, the raw material of musical instrument making, is in itself a source of inspiration. Its smell, sound, appearance, shapes and rings, guide you in the creative process.
- What do you love most about your craft?
- Its connection to the sound. I love the fact that following the long process of construction, I can create an object that is not just beautiful or useful, but an object that produces its own, unique sound. With this object, through music, one is given the opportunity to express feelings and ideas.
Ageliki Lyssa is a master artisan: she began her career in 2012 and she started teaching in 2018
Where
Ageliki Lyssa
