Antoine de Lhoyer (6 September 1768 – 15 March 1852) was a French virtuoso classical guitarist and early Romantic composer, born in Clermont-Ferrand to a wealthy bourgeois family. Alongside his musical career he had a notable military career as an elite member of the Gardes du Corps du Roi, fighting with royalist and allied forces during and after the French Revolution; he was wounded in battle and lost the use of his right hand for three years. He later worked as a guitar teacher to the Tsarina in St. Petersburg before returning to France, eventually dying in poverty in Paris in 1852.

Lhoyer’s music, mainly chamber works featuring the classical guitar, fell into obscurity even before his death. Musicological research has since revived interest in his output, resulting in modern recordings and additions to the guitar repertoire, particularly enriching the number and quality of guitar duets, such as his Duos concertants, Op. 31 and 32.

Sources:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoine_de_Lhoyer