Yorgo Bacanos was a master oud player and improvisational composer of Ottoman classical music. His father Haralambos was of Greek Romani descent, and a legendary lavta and oud improviser. His brother Aleko Bacanos, his uncle Anastasios Leontaridis, his cousins Paraschos and Lambros Leontaridis and his grandfather Leondi Efendi were well-known kemençe players, and his grandfather Ligori Efendi played the kanun. His father was largely responsible for introducing the young Yorgo to music, presenting him with his first oud at the age of five. Yorgo attended the prestigious Lycée Saint Benoît in Istanbul, but soon left to concentrate on music full-time. He had made his first public appearance in the Eftalofos Club in Taksim at the age of twelve.
After his debut, he travelled to Cyprus and Egypt to perform, and upon his return to Turkey his fame grew quickly. He started performing on Turkish Radio in 1927, and went on continued to perform there for 51 years, until his death.