The musical tradition of Pontus is so distinctive that even the most uninitiated can recognize its typology from afar. And because the presence of the Pontic element in modern Greek society is strong, this tradition is almost familiar to everyone. However, its deeper identity remains essentially unknown, accessible only to the initiated, who with persistence and dedication adhere to it with the religious devotion that keeps them tied to the chariot of a long and painful historical memory. Therefore, the realm of Pontic music is a land to be discovered, and this book was compiled in this direction. 

It is a study on the most emblematic of the symbols of Pontic music, the lyra, which is explored here in all its aspects, from organology and technique to repertoire and its functional role within a still-living tradition. The writing does not follow the usual paths of detached scientific research but comes from one of the most active proponents of the Pontic musical tradition, the lyra player Michalis Kaliontzidis, who contributes all his long-standing and multifaceted experiential knowledge to this volume. 

Since 1987, he has been engaged in the collection and composition of the volume, which is published here with the care of the Department of Folk and Traditional Music of the Technological Educational Institute of Epirus. His art, as it was handed down to him and as he himself highlighted it through his work, concerns not only those studying the Pontic lyra but all those exploring the unique paths of the musical traditions of the Greek region.