The modern lyre

The lyre – or "lyra", or Kithara, as it was formerly called – is one of the most ancient stringed musical instruments known. Its roots go back over 5000 years to the Babylonian period.

The "modern lyre", however, is a very young instrument created only 92 years ago.

In 1926, thanks to their joint effort, the musician Edmund Pracht and the artist W. Lothar Gärtner redesigned the classical lyre, creating the "modern lyre", which fit well into the new, open-minded spiritual dimension.

Since 1980, we have been handcrafting in our workshop "modern" lyres of all sizes and ranges which clearly differ from the models known from classical antiquity.

Lyres are available in the following types: solo-bass lyre, tenor lyre, alto lyre, concert lyre, solo alto lyre, soprano lyre big, solo soprano lyre, soprano lyre small und descant lyre.

Our lyres are used for all kinds of music including contemporary, music pedagogy, music therapy, composition, etc.

It gives me great pleasure to show you some examples of our instruments…

Horst Leopold Nieder
(lyre builder)