Lady Luthier

About this campaign

My name is Elissa Opfer, and I am the luthier and artist behind Lady Luthier. Through my work, I have become especially dedicated to building and studying traditional musical instruments—objects that carry the voices, craftsmanship, and memories of cultures from around the world. Unfortunately today, the knowledge of how to make and/or repair many of the world's instruments is rapidly disappearing.

For centuries, luthiers passed their skills down from generation to generation. Many of these traditions were rarely written down; they lived in the minds and hands of the makers and the apprentices to whom they passed their knowledge on to. As the number of existing masters is dwindling fast, along with the many challenges around accessibility for aspiring luthiers, much of this knowledge is at risk of being lost to us.

This summer, I have the opportunity to attend an artist residency in Crete, where I will further my studies of traditional luthier practices and learn from the historic instrument-making traditions that still survive there today. Being present in these spaces, learning directly from the materials, techniques, and cultural contexts that shaped these instruments, is essential to keeping this knowledge alive.

Your support will help fund my travel, residency, and the time needed to deeply study these traditions. More importantly, it will support my long-term mission through Lady Luthier: to learn, preserve, document, and share the knowledge of traditional instrument making so that this vital artistry, and the instruments themselves, do not disappear.

Every instrument holds a story. With your help, I can continue the work of listening, learning, and carrying these stories forward.

T-shirt design credit to the wonderful Phoebe FM insta: @phoebefm