Glissotar has been in development and production for over 7 years now. We started selling it slowly about 2 years ago and kept improving the production process over time. We recently reached a point where we are capable of producing about 10 instruments per month and we felt like it is time for us to make a systematic effort to show it to the broader public and popularize it. So came the decision to introduce Glissotar at Cremona Musica in September 2023, one of the biggest international fairs dedicated to musical instruments. It was the first musical fair that featured Glissotar.
Cremona Musica is a huge fair with close to 20 000 visitors and 300 exhibitors attending. Historically, it has a focus on string instruments. However, this year, they included a small section for wind instruments called Cremona Winds. It sounded like the right spot for us. A team of three traveled from Budapest to Cremona with enthusiasm to set up the Glissonic booth resembling a musician’s room, and present the invention and the value it brings to the world of music.
The Glissonic team in Cremona wearing its new musical t-shirts
The experience has been both intense and exciting. We got plenty of visitors of different nationalities and languages at our booth. However, the language of music became a common ground for all. Musicians (not only woodwind players) expressed curiosity and interest in Glissotar and hearing their support was encouraging. Many signed up for our newsletter, so they can follow the progress we make. It is not primarily about the numbers though. It was fascinating to see the stunned and puzzled faces of musicians when they first heard and saw Glissotar for the first time. It was entertaining to hear the improvised performances created by inspired musicians at the booth. The feedback felt energizing.
Cremona Musica recognized our invention by featuring us in a local newspaper and giving us the opportunity to open the Musica Cremona Band Festival. We appreciate these as they made our attendance in Cremona visible and truly organic too.
An interview with Dániel Váczi, the inventor of Glissotar, at Mondo Padano (Italian only)
All in all, we enjoyed our stay in Cremona, made a lot of connections and hopefully left a good impression behind too. We look forward to staying in touch with attendees and participating in the next musical fair, possibly as early as March in Nürnberg.
In the meantime, don’t hesitate to order your Glissotar, if it raises your interest!