Lavtacı Andon (mid-19th century – c. 1925)

Antonis Kyriazidis, or Kyriazis, played the lute (laouto in Greek, lavta in Turkish) and the ud. Along with his brothers Christos (or Christakis, d. circa 1914) and Yiannis (or Jivanis, “The Blind One,” Turkish: Civan, d. circa 1910), who were also laouto players and composers, particularly of vocal repertoire, they gained distinction as musicians in the city’s music cafés and taverns, in districts such as Pera and Galata. They operated at the crossroads between Ottoman urban music and the kabasaz popular music orchestras—ensembles of laouto, lyra, and percussion, which accompanied the dance performances of köçekçeler (singular: köçekçe), young boys dressed in women’s clothing. Antonis’ compositions in the peșrev and semai instrumental forms remain beloved to this day, and several pieces from the köçekçe dance repertoire are also attributed to him. According to some sources, Antonis and his brothers maintained ties with the Palace, where they were frequently invited to perform. They were also closely associated with some of the great musicians of their era, such as Tanburi Cemil Bey (1873–1916), Vasilakis (Kemençeci Vasil), and the Armenian Tatyos Efendi (1858–1913)—the latter two, in fact, were said to have been students of Yiannis, or Civan.