Toronto concerts

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.