Constantinople

A luminous encounter of kindred musicians: between poetry and inspired musical dialogue.

With this ensemble that has traveled the world’s stages for over a decade, strings and voices embody the beauty of Persian and Mandinka music. Master of the kora Ablaye Cissoko and setâr player Kiya Tabassian immerse us in a gentle sonic reverie. A musical conversation at its finest, elevated by the rhythms and subtleties of percussionist Patrick Graham. Inspired by the estuary—this space of transition and transformation—three exceptional artists craft a vast palette of colors with cosmopolitan accents.

A luminous encounter of kindred musicians: between poetry and inspired musical dialogue.

With this ensemble that has traveled the world’s stages for over a decade, strings and voices embody the beauty of Persian and Mandinka music. Master of the kora Ablaye Cissoko and setâr player Kiya Tabassian immerse us in a gentle sonic reverie. A musical conversation at its finest, elevated by the rhythms and subtleties of percussionist Patrick Graham. Inspired by the estuary—this space of transition and transformation—three exceptional artists craft a vast palette of colors with cosmopolitan accents.

A Dialogue Between Cultures, Across Centuries and Music

Holland Baroque and Constantinople join forces for a unique collaboration inspired by the historical encounter between Francis of Assisi and Sultan Malek al-Kamil during the Crusades. Through this act of peace and dialogue, these two figures embodied mutual respect and a deep curiosity for one another—values that our ensembles seek to bring to life today.

A Dialogue Between Cultures, Across Centuries and Music

Holland Baroque and Constantinople join forces for a unique collaboration inspired by the historical encounter between Francis of Assisi and Sultan Malek al-Kamil during the Crusades. Through this act of peace and dialogue, these two figures embodied mutual respect and a deep curiosity for one another—values that our ensembles seek to bring to life today.

DIALOGOS

The Sultan and the bird

For this creation inspired by the historic encounter between Francis of Assisi and Sultan Malik al-Kâmil, Constantinople joins forces with one of Europe’s most bold and imaginative early music ensembles, Holland Baroque.

Amid the turmoil of the Crusades, this unexpected dialogue—marked by mutual respect and attentiveness—became a timeless symbol of peace and understanding.

Blending ancient and contemporary musical traditions from both East and West, the two ensembles bring this spiritual legacy to life through a free and daring musical language.
This collaboration transcends borders, celebrates otherness, and invites audiences on an emotional journey where music becomes a bridge between worlds—a celebration of our shared humanity.

Vibrez au rythme envoûtant de la Perse avec Kayhan Kalhor et Kiya Tabassian, maîtres du kamancheh et du setar.

Iranian musician Kiya Tabassian and his ensemble Constantinople present a contemporary reinterpretation of the Rubaiyat, the renowned collection of poems by Persian poet, astronomer, and mathematician Omar Khayyam. In collaboration with singer Ghalia Benali, they pay tribute to the legacy of Umm Kulthum, the iconic voice of Middle Eastern music, by revisiting the compositions of Riad Al Sunbati that brought these quatrains to life. Through new arrangements and original compositions by Tabassian, the project creates a vibrant dialogue between centuries-old Sufi poetry and the sounds of today, bridging Arab and Persian musical traditions.

Marco Beasley, a specialist in Renaissance music, joins forces with Constantinople to celebrate, in music, a bridge that Leonardo da Vinci designed in 1502. The longest and boldest bridge of the time, it was to span the Bosporus and thus link Europe and Asia. But it was never built; the plans, however, were preserved in the artist’s archives. Five centuries later, Tabassian re-imagines this bridge with the help of 16th- and 17th-century works from the manuscript archives of the national libraries of Istanbul and Florence.