Andrey Osipovich Sikhra was born 1773 in Vilno (the modern Vilnius) in the family of a music teacher. In the youth he concerted as harpist, played the six-stringed guitar. Then he was keen on the seven-stringed guitar and devoted to it his whole life. 1801 the musician went to Moscow where he began to make a repertoire for the seven-stringed guitar and to teach his first disciples.

Sikhra, a talented musician, kind and charming man, was soon an idol of many followers and admires.

After the proscription of Napoleon from Russia he went to Petersburg and remains here till the end of his life (died 1850). Here, in Petersburg, he, a ripe musician and pedagogue, creates his school of playing at the seven- stringed guitar. A. Sikhra was not only a talented but also highly-educated musician. He was high valued by M. Glinka, A. Dargomyzhskiy, A.Varlamov, A. Dyubyuk, D. Fild and many other workers of Russian culture. The famous singer A. Petrov learned by Sikhra to play guitar. The biographical vocabulary of Russian historical society named Sikhra "patriarch of Russian guitarists". From his followers the most famous are S. Aksenov, N. Alexsandrov, V. Morkov, V. Sarenko, V. Svintsov.

Sikhra wrote for the guitar pieces and exsercitions; 1802 he began to issue in Moscow "Magazine for the seven-stringed guitar". He issued also "Exsercitions" and "Theoretical and practical school for the seven-stringed guitar", devoted to his follower V. I. Morkov.