A Turkish musician has been garnering attention as the first person to produce domestic harps in Türkiye, creating unique, traditional works while helping promote a niche instrument that is more popular than might appear in the art of music.
Zeynep Öykü, a notable figure in baroque music, began manufacturing harps in 2019, and her instruments have been sold to numerous countries. Reflecting on the reasons for starting production of domestic harps, she cited the unlikely high demand for the harp.
"There is a high demand for harps, but there aren't enough in the country to meet these demands. We frequently encountered students who wished to take lessons from us but couldn't find a harp. These issues accumulated, and I finally decided, 'Enough; let's start producing them ourselves.' As we began production, the demand exceeded our supply. Subsequently, we expanded our reach to foreign markets."
Öykü emphasized the scarcity of baroque harp masters worldwide. "I received harp training from American musician Howard Bryan and started producing harps using his measurements." Additionally, Öykü mentioned that she personally embroidered the domestic harps and incorporated Anatolian motifs into the design to highlight their regional identity.
Expressing her desire to manufacture other components of the domestic harp in her workshop, Öykü said: "We primarily use walnut wood for the harps. We also produce the metal parts ourselves. I only purchase the strings from the (United States). Currently, I collaborate with a string factory and make them myself. I aim to be fully self-sufficient."
Öykü highlighted the unexpected acclaim her harps received during international concerts and mentioned that her first harp was sold in the U.S. Continuing the production of domestic harps in her workshop in Bilecik, Öykü plans to commence mass production after the workshop's renovation is completed.
She noted the significant demand for her harps both domestically and internationally. "We sold our first harp to the U.S. and have also sold to Israel, Africa and Japan. The market for harp manufacturers in Asia is almost nonexistent. Additionally, there is potential in Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan. Our goal is to enter the Asian market as well."
Öykü expressed her pride in performing concerts with a Turkish-made harp and announced her intention to introduce her harps at her upcoming concert in New York on June 17.
