Petros Bereketes

PETROS Bereketes. b. 1665?; d. 1725?. The name Bereketes derives from the Turkish word ‘bereket’, meaning ‘abundance’. The story goes that when Bereketes was asked by his pupils if he had more heirmoi for them, he always answered that he had an abundance of them. Petros studied music in his home town of Constantinople and afterwards with Damianos of Vatopedi on Mount Athos. He was influenced by works by his contemporaries Chrysaphes the Younger*, Germanos of Neai Patrai* and Balasios*. He was later the teacher of Ioannes Trapezuntios* and others. Petros also worked as domestikos and then protopsaltes at the Church of St. Constantine in Constantinople. Petros is commonly called ‘Father of...