Michael Kay Founder Leonard Bellezza Co-Owner Daniel Mondoro Co-Owner

Deep roots, which reach back nearly half a century, make Lyric one of America’s oldest independently owned audio/video salons. In an age of impersonal chain stores as alike as cookies from a mold, such businesses are true oases. Countless Lyric customers have become a family over the years, and we continue to provide new and old patrons alike—people from around the US, Europe, Asia and South America—with knowledgeable advice and highly personal service. Lyric’s distinct and distinguished personality is in part due to its founder, Michael Kay, who was schooled in electronic engineering in his native Greece before emigrating to America. Mirroring Mike’s passion for music and his demanding nature, Lyric always featured state-of-the-art equipment, and its experts created some of the very first remote-controlled audio installations. Before long, equipment designers were bringing their prototypes to Lyric for evaluation, and high end component fans were returning on a regular basis to hear the newest amplifier or speaker. In 2004, Mike Kay, by then in his early 80s, sold Lyric, but there was far more continuity than change since the new owners were formerly Mike’s key employees — Leonard Bellezza who had already logged 27 years with the company, and Dan Mondoro, who had put in 20. There was, as always, a skilled support staff at customers’ disposal, and Mike continued to spend time at the Manhattan store, which is still just two blocks up Lexington Avenue from his first location.