Ocarinas in the United States
Ocarina makers in the United States before Zelda: Ocarina of Time
A short survey of American ocarina makers before the 1998 Zelda game, from Rudolph Teschner in the 1870s to the makers still working today.
Rudolph Teschner
Rudolph Teschner was born in New Wedell, Germany in 1847. He immigrated to Canada when he was 10. He died in Honeoye Falls, New York, in September 1920. This post: https://theocarinanetwork.com/rudolph-teschner-ocarinas-t6091.html has an excerpt of an obituary for Teschner from the Presto Magazine on September 11, 1920 (bold added):
OCARINA MANUFACTURER DIES AT ADVANCED AGE
Rudolph Teschner Got His First Model of Instrument in Vienna Museum.
Rudolph Teschner, a resident of the town of Mendon, N. Y., for more than thirty years and declared to be the only manufacturer in the United State s of the musical instrument known as the ocarina, died last week at his home, five miles east of Honeoye Falls, N. Y., aged 73 years. Mr. Teschner was born in New Wedell, Germany in 1847. He came with his parents to this country when 10 years old, settling first in Canada.
In 1877 Mr. Teschner took a trip to Europe, and while there saw in a Vienna museum the musical instrument called the ocarina, which had been found in the ruins of Pompeii. It was a crude instrument of clay shaped much like a sweet potato and having four holes. Being much interested in musical instruments, he obtained permission to examine it. On his return, Mr. Teschner told a friend about it and it was suggested that he make some. After considerable thought Teschner did this, making them with eight notes or holes. When completed, however, they would not play, but later he rectified the error. In 1878 he made 200 ocarinas.
His first instruments were painted yellow, and later he colored them black. He made thirty-two different sizes, running from high C to low C, or four octaves. The putty-like clay that Mr. Teschner used was obtained only from Factory Hollow in the town of West Bloomfield, and from six to eight tons are required for a year’s work ma[k]ing from fifteen to
twenty thousand a year. His last order of five thousand for a Chicago house was finished in May, last, since which time he has been unable to work.
Here’s another post: https://theocarinanetwork.com/an-ocarina-maker-before-congress-t5010.html:
Millers Corners, Ontario County, N. Y.,
December 31, 1896.
Committee On Ways And Means:
I am the manufacturer of a musical instrument made of clay called the ocarina. I was the first to introduce it in this country, and it has cost me a great deal of time and money.
Under the McKinley tariff it was fairly remunerative, but under the Wilson reduction of tariff I was compelled to discharge all my hands, as the potters of Europe, working at that business, receive only $3 or $4 per week. You will see that no American laborer can compete with those prices.
I therefore ask your honorable body to consider my case in readjusting the tariff. Under the McKinley tariff these instruments were introduced as decorated earthenware, but under the Wilson tariff they were imported as musical instruments.
Rudolph Teschner
This book: https://mcnygenealogy.com/book/mendon-sesquicentennial.pdf pins down the exact location of his old factory. On page 21 of the book:
An ocarina factory was located on Parish Road, and the old kiln still exists in a small enclosure in a nearby field. The sweet-toned little instruments, shaped like a sweet potato, were made of clay. At this spot for 20 years before the dawn of the century, Rudolph Teschner was the only manufacturer in the United States of the ocarina. He continued manufacturing ocarinas until his death in 1921-his last order was for 5,000 for a Chicago firm.
Guido Bondi
Guido Bondi was born in Pistoia, Italy, on July 17, 1879. It is unknown when he immigrated to the United States. He died in Covington, Kentucky, on August 17, 1945.
Bondi filed a patent application on September 29, 1919 for “Mold for making musical instruments” which was granted on February 22, 1921.
Old Glory
https://ocarinas.fandom.com/wiki/Old_Glory
The most interesting example of Old Glory ocarinas is the Jugarina. There are several sizes/forms.
Waterbury
https://patents.google.com/patent/US2195992A/
Waterbury was a button company. Their patent for the design of an ocarina was granted on April 2, 1940. Waterbury ocarinas were made from bakelite.
Gretsch
https://patents.google.com/patent/US2460931A/en
Gretsch ocarinas were also made from bakelite. Their patent, also for the design of an ocarina, was granted on February 8, 1949, but they must have been making ocarinas even before they submitted their patent application on December 4, 1944. Gretsch ocarinas are known for being distributed to service members in World War II to boost morale. They published the “Music is Fun” book, copyrighted 1940.
Gretsch ocarinas were also sold as a set of four with a book of quartet arrangements.
Anita Feng
Feng started to make ocarina in 1974 and retired from ocarina-making in 2007. Her transverse ocarinas utilize a “true” linear fingering: To play A, a player lifts the left pinky instead of the left ring finger. She also made 4-hole ocarinas. She resides in Washington State.
Alan Albright
Alan Albright was born on March 16, 1941. From 1975 to 1985, he developed and made double/harmony wooden ocarinas. Nancy Rumbel (https://nancyrumbel.com/) plays his ocarinas. Alan resides in Florida.
ClayZeness by Sandi and Richard Schmidt
Clayzeness started in the early 1980s, and sold their ocarinas in the Pike Place Market in Seattle from 1982 until Sandi retired. The production level of Clayzeness has greatly lowered since Richard passed away on November 29, 2013. Sandi resides in Washington State.
Charles Hind
Hind started to make musical instruments in 1975 but has focused on wooden ocarinas since 1982. He is semi-retired and resides in South Carolina.
Robin L. Hodgkinson
Hodgkinson’s studio is named “Clay-Wood-Winds”. He made various kinds of instruments including raku fired 4-hole ocarinas. He probably started around 1978. He resides in Massachusetts.
The Whistleworks by John Barry
Barry probably started in the mid- to late-1970s. He made animal-shaped 4-hole ocarinas.
Karen Dunster
Dunster likely started to make ocarinas in the early 1990s. She made mostly 4 hole ocarinas in animal shapes, and her transverse ocarinas have the same fingering as Anita Feng.
Sixth Street Ocarina by Chris Heuer
Originally named “Sixth Street Pottery”, they changed their name to “Sixth Street Ocarina” in late 1990s or early 2000s. At the time of name change, Heuer already had over 20 years of experience as a ceramic artist. The most popular model from Sixth Street is their 9-hole transverse ocarina. Chris retired in 2018. He resides in Missouri.
Other makers
There were other makers of 4-hole ocarinas in the United States before “Zelda: Ocarina of Time” came out in 1998. The list of makers above only included the more influential ones.
A note on this piece
Written on May 19, 2024 for the 7th Asia Ocarina Festival, where a friend was giving a presentation. Whether it was used there, and in what form, is not known. It is published here as it was written, apart from the removal of the towns where living makers live; their states are kept.
It carries no citations. It was a short briefing for one occasion, not a researched paper, and several of its dates rest on the author’s memory or on conversations rather than on documents. Where the museum has since found evidence that disagrees with it, the disagreement is recorded rather than resolved — the sources genuinely conflict, and choosing between them silently would claim a certainty nobody has.
The clearest case is ClayZeness at Pike Place Market. This piece says 1982. Sandi Schmidt said 1984 in conversation in September 2026. Her own letter of April 3, 1998 says they had sold there “for nearly twenty years”, which points to about 1979. All three are recorded; none is preferred.
If you can settle any of these, or if something here is wrong, please write to theocarinamuseum@gmail.com.