CONSTANTINOPLE ENSEMBLE

Music from the court of the Safavides

A seductive voyage back in time – a return to ancient roots. With ‘Paths to the summit – Persian treasures uncovered’, the Constantinople Ensemble delves into precious extracts from sixteenth and eighteenth century manuscripts discovered in Turkey and Greece. They also rekindle the elegant music that was played in the court of the sovereigns of the Safavide era (1501-1736), the period during which Iranian instrumentalists migrated en mass towards the Ottoman and Byzantine cultural centres. Throughout this journey to the origins of sophisticated Persian music, iridescent and unpublished compositions rise to the surface, linking a glorious past with contemporary practice. From complex rhythmic cycles to skilled vocals, the respected Constantinople Ensemble, comprising brothers Kiya and Ziya Tabassin, energizes its well-earned reputation for intertwining Middle Eastern and Mediterranean oral traditions and music.

Kiya Tabassian : setar, voice
Sepideh Raissadat : voice
Kyriakos Kalaitzidis : oud
Ziya Tabassian : tombak, percussion
Didem Başar : kanun
Pierre-Yves Martel : viole de gambe