Presentation of Constantinople

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CONSTANTINOPLE428, rue Rachel Est • H2J 2G7 • MONTREAL (QC)

CanadaT/F +1 514 286 8008

[email protected]

ITINERANT MUSIC • ECLECTIC JOURNEYS • MYRIAD ENCOUNTERS

CONSTANTINOPLE.CA • +1.514.286.8008 • [email protected] • MONTREAL, CA

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CONSTANTINOPLE

Constantinople is the story of a musical ensemble that chose the journey as its cornerstone—geographical journeys, but also historical, cultural and inner—and to seek inspiration from all sources, to aim for distant horizons.

Drawing inspiration from ancient Istanbul, a trailblazing city illuminating East and West, the ensemble, founded in 2001 in Montreal, was conceived as a forum for encounters and cross-fertilization by Kiya and Ziya Tabassian, who grew up in effervescent Teheran.

Kiya plays setar, sings and composes, while Ziya explores the in!nite possibilities of the tombak and other percussive instruments. Steeped in the classical Persian traditions, both musical and poetic, each of them has a blend of self-taught, academic and traditional training. Knowing each other by heart and continuing to discover more, they have used their virtuosity and creativity to open up and reinvent the heritage of their native land. Their exile and discovery of Quebec in adolescence seems to have given them wings!

In 2008 the ensemble evolved, welcoming Pierre-Yves Martel to its ranks, a viola da gamba player of improvisational brilliance who was as insatiable and adventurous as the two brothers. An inspired musician with a multifaceted background and a balancing !gure in Constantinople, Pierre-Yves has always embraced new languages, always felt at home in the crossroads of early and contemporary music, in the traditions of Persian music.

Since then, as seasoned travellers, the trio has ceaselessly explored a wide range of musical avenues: from

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ECHOESUnprecedented subtlety“Musical arrangements that reveal unprecedented subtlety, making even the best European ensembles green with envy.” “They open up the doors of an extraordinary garden.” – Michel Ferland, Radio-Canada-CBC (Canada)

An exciting evening!“...The sacred is there, beneath our eyes on the stage, through the great communion of the musicians, by their complicity in the improvisations, by the invisible joining of their talents that they have all shown with brio. ““Without hesitation, artists that deserve !ve stars.” – Guy Marceau, La Presse (Quebec)

Quote: 9/10“I highly recommend Constantinople’s effort as one of the successful of ‘East-meets-West’ conceptualizations on disc.” – David Vernier, Classic Today.com

Virtuosity draws the listener into magic“The connection of these brothers to each other, to their diverse musical in"uences and interests, and the drawing out of inner resources and virtuosity draw the listener into the magic created.” – Diane Wells, Thewholenote.com

5 DIAPASONS ratingThe French magazine gave us a 5 DIAPASONS rating for TERRES TURQUOISES launched in 2005. “Their approach, seeking the instantaneous gestures of improvisation, has a novel sound, a certain innocence created from the meeting of rare tones, even if it means taking on the risky, yet so invigorating territory of re-creation.” – Roger Tellart, Diapason (France)

A musical level never reached before“On a musical level, never before has a work pushed the Quebecois folklore that far in space!” “Constant in the quality of the interpretation.” “What emerges is a free and subtle music that we never want to stop listening to.” – Yves Bernard, Le Devoir (Quebec)

One the !nest Early music ensembles “Constantinople is one of the world’s !ner Early music ensembles.” – Doug Spencer, The Weekend Planet (ABC, Australian Broadcasting Corp.)

Nothing super!cial“Constantinople manages to make us believe in the mythical Middle Ages clothed in mysticism.”“There is nothing super!cial about their music.” “They have brilliantly reached their goal, one that we were anxious to share in once again.” – François Tousignant, Le Devoir (Québec)

By heart“An hour and a half of intense and improvised exchanges between two musicians who know each other by heart... The buzz around these precious musicians will continue for a long time.” – Mondomix (France)

A dream“Their mission seems to be to make us dream. They take us on a voyage to another world.” – Véronique Robert, L’Actualité “These artists transported us a long way. Far into time, into space… and with such great ease. Bravo! » - L’Union (France)

Free and rigorous“An approach at once free and rigorous.” – La Scena Musicale (Canada)

A Bull’s eye score“Credible, erudite, sensitive, Constantinople’s approach scores a bull’s-eye.” – Christophe Huss, Le Devoir (Quebec)

Exquisite“Constantinople presented a convincing evening of exquisite music-making.” – Vancouver Sun (Canada)

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mediaeval manuscripts to contemporary aesthetics, from Mediterranean Europe to the East and New World Baroque.

In its research and creation, Constantinople joins forces with other leading !gures on the international scene, including singers Françoise Atlan, Savina Yannatou, Rosario La Tremendita, Ghada Shbeir and Irasema Terrazas, the Greek ensemble En Chordais, the polyphonic choir Barbara Furtuna, the Quebec group Vent du Nord, the Afghan rubab virtuoso Homayoun Sakhi, DJ Mercan Dede, and such prominent percussionists as the Istanbul-based Mısırli Ahmet or Israeli Zohar Fresco.

The common denominator that Constantinople brings into play is their modal expression, but also their decidedly contemporary—and thus unifying—language. “To avoid the traps of juxtaposition (…), to go elsewhere by listening to and understanding the Other (…), to create a fresco that can be viewed as a unique work of art” (Kiya Tabassian): such is the ambition of these artists who are shaping the music of tomorrow by writing the music of today, transmitting both a legacy from the past and intuitions of the future.

Constantinople is regularly invited to international festivals, where it is acclaimed by the public, music professionals and critics alike. It has performed on many of the world’s major stages, including the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence (France), the World Sacred Music Festival of Fez (Morocco), the Festival d’Île de France (Paris), the Onassis Centre (Athens), the Festival de México en el Centro Histórico (Mexico), the Festival de Lanaudière (Quebec), or the MusicFest Vancouver (Canada).Alongside these tours in France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Holland, Romania, Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, Iran, Cyprus, Morocco, Canada, United States and Mexico, Constantinople presents every year a season of creations and revivals in Montreal, the visibility of which continues to grow.

Most of its creations have been recorded and broadcast by Radio-Canada, and some have been relayed to European audiences via the European Broadcasting Union. Constantinople has eleven albums to its credit on the ATMA label, and has recently released Early Dreams with ANALEKTA. The ensemble is supported by the Conseil des Arts et des Lettres of Quebec, the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Conseil des Arts de Montréal.

Over the course of the decade, the ensemble has created over 30 works and travelled to nearly 100 cities in 20 countries.

CONCERT HIGHLIGHTS2012Salle Pleyel (PARIS, France) || DiMenna Center (NEW YORK, United States) || Festival les Heures d’été (NANTES, France) || Schwetzinger SWR Festspiele (SCHWETZINGEN, Germany) || Jerusalem Sacred Music Festival (JERUSALEM, Israel) || Prismatic Arts Festival (HALIFAX, Nova Scotia) || Festival de musique « Conques, La lumière du Roman » (AVEYRON, France) || Thessaloniki World Music Festival (THESSALONIQUE, Greece)

2011Palais Montcalm (QUÉBEC, Canada) || Poisson Rouge (NEW YORK, United States) || Les Flanneries de Reims (REIMS, France) || Tropentheater (AMSTERDAM, Holland) || Musée Guimet (PARIS, France) || KulturFabrik (ESCH, Luxembourg) || Carré d’argent (PONT-CHÂTEAU, France) || Onassis Cultural Centre (ATHENS, Greece) || Music Before 1800 Corpus Christi Church (NEW YORK, United States) || Festival de Stimmens (LÖRRACH, Germany) || Toronto Consort Series (TORONTO, Canada) ||

2010Banff Centre for the Arts (ALBERTA, Canada) || Oratoire du Louvre (PARIS, France) || Festival International d’Orford (ORFORD, Canada) || Festival International de Musique Sacrée de Sylvanès (SYLVANÈS, France) || Festival International du Domaine Forget (ST-IRÉNÉE, Québec) || Fez Sacred Music Festival (FEZ, Morocco) || Early Music Vancouver (VANCOUVER, Canada) || Early Music Society of the Islands (VICTORIA, BC) || Festival des musiques sacrées (QUÉBEC, Canada) || Minderbroeders Complex (MECHELEN, Belgium)

2009Festival Internacional de Puebla (PUEBLA, MEXICO) || Festival des Musiques Sacrées de Québec (QUEBEC, QC) || Metropolitain Musuem (NEW YORK, United States) || Festival Ile-de-France (PARIS, France) || Festival des Arts de St-Sauveur (ST-SAUVEUR, QC) || Festival d’Aix (AIX-EN-PROVENCE, France) || Rialto Theatre (LIMASSOL, Cyprus) || Festival Les Orientales (SAINT-FLORENT LE VIEIL, France) || FlamencoFestivalEsch (LUXEMBOURG) || Festival Instants du Monde (NANTES, France) || Festival de l’Imaginaire (PARIS, France) || Megaron Musiqi (THESSALONIKI, Greece)

2008Festival Ile-de-France (PARIS, France) || Festival international de musique ancienne d’Ambronay (AMBRONAY, France) || Vienna Konzerthaus (VIENNA, Austria) || Ottawa Chamber Music Festival (OTTAWA, Canada) || Festival International de Lanaudière (LANAUDIERE, QC) || Accademia Musicale Chigiana (SIENNA, Italy) || Farhang-sara honar Arasbaran (TEHRAN, Iran) || Virtuosi concert series (WINNIPEG, Canada) || International Zacatecas Festival (ZACATECAS, Mexico)

2007Mediterranean Festival (HONG KONG) || Festival Suds à Arles (ARLES, France) || Alix Goolden Hall (VICTORIA, Canada) || Margaret Greenham Theatre (BANFF CENTRE, Canada) || Harbourfront Centre Theatre (TORONTO, Canada)

2006Festival de Cuernavaca (CUERNAVACA, Mexico) || Augustinus Muziekcentrum (ANTWERPEN, Belgium) || Festival Voix et Route Romane (BAS-RHIN, France) || Festival Classica Evora (EVORA, Portugal) || Festival de San Luis Potosi (SAN LUIS POTOSI, Mexico) || Festival de Mexico en el Centro Historico (MEXICO, Mexico) || UNAM (MEXICO, Mexico) || Centre National des Arts (MEXICO, Mexico) || Fundación Tres Culturas del Mediterráneo (SEVILLE, Spain) || Scuola di Musica Antica di Venezia (VENISE, Italy) || Centro Studi Piemontese di Musica Antica (BIELLA, Italy) || Institut du Monde Arabe (PARIS, France) || Assembly Hall, American University of Beirut (BEIRUT, Lebanon) …2001Foundation

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KIYA TABASSIANBorn in 1976, Teheran, Iran • Setar, vocals and artistic direction

At age 14, Kiya Tabassian emigrated with his family to Quebec, bringing with him a background in ancient Persian music (setar and vocals) and the beginnings of a career in Iran.

Determined to become a musician, composer and historical torchbearer, he continued his self-taught training in Persian music, meeting frequently with Reza Gassemi and Kayhan Kalhor. At the same time, he studied composition at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal with Gilles Tremblay and Michel Gonneville.

After years of professional activities, he co-founded Constantinople with his brother Ziya in 2001. The ensemble’s aim was to draw upon the musical heritage of mediaeval and Renaissance Europe, Mediterranean and Middle East.

Kiya has performed on stages throughout the world, and collaborated on highly eclectic projects as a composer, performer and improviser. These include regular collaborations with Radio-Canada since 1996; an active involvement from 2002 to 2005 in the international MediMuses project researching the history and repertoire of Mediterranean music, and in several publishing and recording initiatives; musical collaborations since 2009 with the Atlas Ensemble (Holland), with the Atlas Academy as a tutor, and on a project linking contemporary music with oral traditions.

Numerous musical groups and institutions have called upon his talents as a composer, including the Nouvel Ensemble Moderne and the Union Européenne de Radio-Télévision. He has also composed music for documentary and feature !lms, including Jabaroot and Voices of the Unheard.

Since September 2005, he has been a member of the Conseil des arts de Montréal (where he was Chairman of the Music Committee for three years). His artistic research and creation receives the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Council des arts et des lettres du Québec.

PREMIERS SONGES | EARLY DREAMS – AN29989 03/2011Epics for a New World – The mystical poetry of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (17th century).Feat. Françoise Atlan

AY !! AMOR - ACD22594 05/2008Inspired by the shores of the Mediterrean, a collection of women’s love songs. Sensual and timeless.Feat. Françoise Atlan

TERRA NOSTRA - ACD22567 08/2007A union of Mexican baroque and the Jarocho music of Veracruz, in the footsteps of the explorer Cortés.Feat. José Ángel Guttiérrez et Teresita de Jesús Islas

DE CASTILLE À SAMARKAND - ACD22383 08/2006Following the path of the Spanish Ambassador Clavijo (15th century), an immersion into the musical riches of the Silk Road.

MANIA - ACD22340 03/2006Brothers Kiya and Ziya Tabassian combine virtuosity, gentleness and personal exploration.

QUE LE YABLE LES EMPORTE - ACD22379 11/2005An unusual encounter between the Orient and rustic Quebec.

CARREFOUR DE LA MÉDITERRANÉE – ACD22316 01/2005Projet orchestral de mise en partage des cultures byzantine, persane et arabe. Feat. En Chordais, Ghada Shbeir et Imane Homsy.

TERRES TURQUOISES – ACD22314 02/2004A tribute to the Mediterranean shores, the homeland of each musician, the garden of memory and imagination.

LI TANS NOUVEAUS – ACD22290 03/2003Music and songs of the troubadours and trouvères of mediaeval France. Feat. Anne Azéma

MEMORIA SEFARDI – ACD22274 02/2002Sefarad traditional music.

CONSTANTINOPLE –– ACD22269 07/2001Instrumental music from the Middle-Age and Renaissance.

DISCOGRAPHY

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ZIYA TABASSIANBorn in 1979, Milan, Italy • Tombak and percussion

Ziya Tabassian began playing the tombak (Iranian drum) at the age of ten. After a brief initiation period in Iran, he continued his autodidactic training in Quebec, his adopted homeland.

From 1994 to 2001, he studied classical Western percussion with Julien Grégoire and obtained a Bachelor ’s degree in interpretation from the Université de Montréal. Her artistic aspirations, which lean toward improvised music from the Mediterranean and Middle East, found an outlet in Constantinople, an ensemble that he co-founded with his brother Kiya.

In a residency at the Banff Centre for the Arts (Alberta) in the winter of 2003, he explored the contemporary repertoire with Iranian percussion instruments, which was to have a lasting in!uence.

A tireless traveller, he is continuing his personal research in advanced courses with Bahman Rajabi (Teheran), Aziz Alami (Fez), Trichy Sankaran (Toronto) and Mısırli Ahmet (Istanbul).

As a percussionist, Ziya Tabassian is professionally active in early music (mediaeval, Renaissance and Baroque), as well as contemporary, current and world music. He performs with several other musical groups, including the Ensemble Caprice.

Supported by the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec and the Canada Council for the Arts, he has dozens of albums to his credit, including ten with Constantinople on the Atma and Analekta labels, and two in tandem with his brother Kiya Tabassian.

He has also performed in recordings by the Kronos Quartet, Mercan Dede, Hosein Omoumi, En Chordais and Lo’Jo. His "rst solo album, Tombak, stemming from his acoustic explorations and research on the rhythmic cycles of early Persian music, was released in 2007 on the Ambiances Magnétiques label.

www.ziyatabassian.com

La nuit aux 1000 oreilles | The Night of 1,000 Ears, 2009About and around Sappho.With Lori Freedman (Canada), Savina Yannatou (Greece) & D. Kimm (Canada)

Canti di a Terra, 2008A bold encounter between Corsican polyphony and early Persian music. With Barbara Furtuna (Corsican vocal quartet)

El grito, el silencio, 2008The !re of "amenco.With Rosario La Tremendita & Juan Requena (Spain)

Ay!! Amor…, 2008Inspired by the shores of the Mediterrean, a collection of women’s love songs. Sensual and timeless.With Françoise Atlan (France-Morocco)

Perle afghane, 2007Tehran-Kabul project.With Homayoun Sakhi (Afghanistan – United States)

Terra Nostra, 2006A union of Mexican baroque and the Jarocho music of Veracruz, in the footsteps of the explorer Cortés.With José Ángel Gutierrez & Teresita Jésus de Islas (Mexico)

Carrefours de la Méditerranée | Mediterranean Crossroads, 2003 & 2005Orchestral project intertwining Byzantine, Persian and Arab cultures.With En Chordais (Greece), Ghada Shbeir (Lebanon), Imane Homsy (Lebanon) & Constantinople

Que le Yable les emporte !!!, 2005An unusual encounter between the Orient and rustic Quebec.With Bernard Simard (Quebec)

De Castille à Samarkand | From Castile to Samarkand, 2004Following the path of the Spanish Ambassador Clavijo (15th century), an immersion into the musical riches of the Silk Road.

Terres Turquoises | Turquoise Land, 2003A tribute to the Mediterranean shores, the homeland of each musician, the garden of memory and imagination.With Françoise Atlan (France – Morocco)

Memoria Sefardí, 2001Music of Jewish and Christian Spain.

Poussières d’étoiles | Dust of Stars, 2000Journey of discovery on the Silk Road.With Liu Fang (China-Canada), Vasu Govinderejan (Iran) & Marcos Marin (Canada)

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PIERRE-YVES MARTELBorn in 1979, Vanier, Ontario, Canada • Viola da gamba

Since settling in Montreal, Pierre-Yves Martel has enjoyed an international career in both improvised and early music, working with musicians from diverse cultural backgrounds.

After several years of study and research on the double bass, he decided in 2008 to abandon that instrument to focus on the viola da gamba, an instrument rarely used in contemporary music.

His album for solo prepared double bass entitled Engagement & Confrontation (2006), described by American double bassist Mark Dresser as a “highly personal, innovative, rich and diverse work of art,” was named one of the year ’s best recordings by Coda magazine. Since then, he has made numerous recordings in the !eld of improvised music, including Sainct Laurens (2009), Masafat (2009), La formule xyz (2010) and Plans d’immanence (2011).

He is the founder and artistic director of Quartetski, a group dedicated to the reinterpretation of works by master composers in an improvised context, which won the Prix François Marcaurelle at the OFF Montreal Jazz Festival. His album Quartetski Does Proko!ev, released in 2007, was followed by projects based on the music of Érik Satie, Duke Ellington, Henry Purcell, and more recently, Tobias Hume and John Cage.

Pierre-Yves Martel has been a member of Constantinople since 2008.

www.soundcloud.com/pymartelwww.soundcloud.com/quartetski

CREATIONS, PAST & PRESENT

Mania, 2001-2012New Persian music.

Versailles à Topkapi, 2012Instrumental suite based on the repertoires of Marin Marais and Dimitrius Cantemir.

Rythmes en Voltige | Rhythms in Flight, 2012Rhythmic cascades, improvisations and mad "ights of fancy. With Mısırlı Ahmet (Turkey), Zohar Fresco (Israel) & Amir Amiri (Canada)

Missa Mystica, 2011Mass based on the Cantigas de Santa Maria and sacred music dedicated to the Virgin Mary.With Savina Yannatou (Greece), Didem Basar (Turkey), Terri Hron (Canada) & Sardar Mohamadjani (Iran)

Chants de l’aube | Songs of the Dawn, 2011Intense dialogue between the music of Iran and North India, based on the sublime poems of Kabîr and Khosrow.With Dhruba Ghosh & Ravi Naimpally (North India)

Sur la Marée Haute | On the High Tide, 2011At the con"uence of the Mediterranean and Saint Lawrence River – the music of New France.With Vent du Nord (Quebec)

Chemins au Sommet | Paths to the Summit, 2010Rediscovered treasures of Persian music.With Didem Basar (Turkey), Siamak Aghaie (Iran) & Kyriakos Kalaitzides (Greece)

Çeké, Çeké - Goutte à goutte, 2010Love songs from Anatolia and Persia – sacred love, profane love.With Özlem Özdil & Sinan Çelik (Turkey)

Rose aux 13 pétales | The 13 Petalled Rose, 2010Jewish music and songs of Iran meet New Klezmer. With Lorin Sklamberg & Frank London (New York)

Premiers Songes | Early Dreams, 2010Epics for a New World – The mystical poetry of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (17th century).With Françoise Atlan (France-Morocco) & Enrique Solinis (Spain)

La Sublime Porte | The Sublime Door, 2009Musical portrait of the mythical city of Istanbul.With Mercan Dede, Mısırli Ahmet (Turkey) & Kyriakos Kalaitzidis (Greece)

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ZIYA TABASSIANBorn in 1979, Milan, Italy • Tombak and percussion

Ziya Tabassian began playing the tombak (Iranian drum) at the age of ten. After a brief initiation period in Iran, he continued his autodidactic training in Quebec, his adopted homeland.

From 1994 to 2001, he studied classical Western percussion with Julien Grégoire and obtained a Bachelor ’s degree in interpretation from the Université de Montréal. Her artistic aspirations, which lean toward improvised music from the Mediterranean and Middle East, found an outlet in Constantinople, an ensemble that he co-founded with his brother Kiya.

In a residency at the Banff Centre for the Arts (Alberta) in the winter of 2003, he explored the contemporary repertoire with Iranian percussion instruments, which was to have a lasting in!uence.

A tireless traveller, he is continuing his personal research in advanced courses with Bahman Rajabi (Teheran), Aziz Alami (Fez), Trichy Sankaran (Toronto) and Mısırli Ahmet (Istanbul).

As a percussionist, Ziya Tabassian is professionally active in early music (mediaeval, Renaissance and Baroque), as well as contemporary, current and world music. He performs with several other musical groups, including the Ensemble Caprice.

Supported by the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec and the Canada Council for the Arts, he has dozens of albums to his credit, including ten with Constantinople on the Atma and Analekta labels, and two in tandem with his brother Kiya Tabassian.

He has also performed in recordings by the Kronos Quartet, Mercan Dede, Hosein Omoumi, En Chordais and Lo’Jo. His "rst solo album, Tombak, stemming from his acoustic explorations and research on the rhythmic cycles of early Persian music, was released in 2007 on the Ambiances Magnétiques label.

www.ziyatabassian.com

La nuit aux 1000 oreilles | The Night of 1,000 Ears, 2009About and around Sappho.With Lori Freedman (Canada), Savina Yannatou (Greece) & D. Kimm (Canada)

Canti di a Terra, 2008A bold encounter between Corsican polyphony and early Persian music. With Barbara Furtuna (Corsican vocal quartet)

El grito, el silencio, 2008The !re of "amenco.With Rosario La Tremendita & Juan Requena (Spain)

Ay!! Amor…, 2008Inspired by the shores of the Mediterrean, a collection of women’s love songs. Sensual and timeless.With Françoise Atlan (France-Morocco)

Perle afghane, 2007Tehran-Kabul project.With Homayoun Sakhi (Afghanistan – United States)

Terra Nostra, 2006A union of Mexican baroque and the Jarocho music of Veracruz, in the footsteps of the explorer Cortés.With José Ángel Gutierrez & Teresita Jésus de Islas (Mexico)

Carrefours de la Méditerranée | Mediterranean Crossroads, 2003 & 2005Orchestral project intertwining Byzantine, Persian and Arab cultures.With En Chordais (Greece), Ghada Shbeir (Lebanon), Imane Homsy (Lebanon) & Constantinople

Que le Yable les emporte !!!, 2005An unusual encounter between the Orient and rustic Quebec.With Bernard Simard (Quebec)

De Castille à Samarkand | From Castile to Samarkand, 2004Following the path of the Spanish Ambassador Clavijo (15th century), an immersion into the musical riches of the Silk Road.

Terres Turquoises | Turquoise Land, 2003A tribute to the Mediterranean shores, the homeland of each musician, the garden of memory and imagination.With Françoise Atlan (France – Morocco)

Memoria Sefardí, 2001Music of Jewish and Christian Spain.

Poussières d’étoiles | Dust of Stars, 2000Journey of discovery on the Silk Road.With Liu Fang (China-Canada), Vasu Govinderejan (Iran) & Marcos Marin (Canada)

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KIYA TABASSIANBorn in 1976, Teheran, Iran • Setar, vocals and artistic direction

At age 14, Kiya Tabassian emigrated with his family to Quebec, bringing with him a background in ancient Persian music (setar and vocals) and the beginnings of a career in Iran.

Determined to become a musician, composer and historical torchbearer, he continued his self-taught training in Persian music, meeting frequently with Reza Gassemi and Kayhan Kalhor. At the same time, he studied composition at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal with Gilles Tremblay and Michel Gonneville.

After years of professional activities, he co-founded Constantinople with his brother Ziya in 2001. The ensemble’s aim was to draw upon the musical heritage of mediaeval and Renaissance Europe, Mediterranean and Middle East.

Kiya has performed on stages throughout the world, and collaborated on highly eclectic projects as a composer, performer and improviser. These include regular collaborations with Radio-Canada since 1996; an active involvement from 2002 to 2005 in the international MediMuses project researching the history and repertoire of Mediterranean music, and in several publishing and recording initiatives; musical collaborations since 2009 with the Atlas Ensemble (Holland), with the Atlas Academy as a tutor, and on a project linking contemporary music with oral traditions.

Numerous musical groups and institutions have called upon his talents as a composer, including the Nouvel Ensemble Moderne and the Union Européenne de Radio-Télévision. He has also composed music for documentary and feature !lms, including Jabaroot and Voices of the Unheard.

Since September 2005, he has been a member of the Conseil des arts de Montréal (where he was Chairman of the Music Committee for three years). His artistic research and creation receives the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Council des arts et des lettres du Québec.

PREMIERS SONGES | EARLY DREAMS – AN29989 03/2011Epics for a New World – The mystical poetry of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (17th century).Feat. Françoise Atlan

AY !! AMOR - ACD22594 05/2008Inspired by the shores of the Mediterrean, a collection of women’s love songs. Sensual and timeless.Feat. Françoise Atlan

TERRA NOSTRA - ACD22567 08/2007A union of Mexican baroque and the Jarocho music of Veracruz, in the footsteps of the explorer Cortés.Feat. José Ángel Guttiérrez et Teresita de Jesús Islas

DE CASTILLE À SAMARKAND - ACD22383 08/2006Following the path of the Spanish Ambassador Clavijo (15th century), an immersion into the musical riches of the Silk Road.

MANIA - ACD22340 03/2006Brothers Kiya and Ziya Tabassian combine virtuosity, gentleness and personal exploration.

QUE LE YABLE LES EMPORTE - ACD22379 11/2005An unusual encounter between the Orient and rustic Quebec.

CARREFOUR DE LA MÉDITERRANÉE – ACD22316 01/2005Projet orchestral de mise en partage des cultures byzantine, persane et arabe. Feat. En Chordais, Ghada Shbeir et Imane Homsy.

TERRES TURQUOISES – ACD22314 02/2004A tribute to the Mediterranean shores, the homeland of each musician, the garden of memory and imagination.

LI TANS NOUVEAUS – ACD22290 03/2003Music and songs of the troubadours and trouvères of mediaeval France. Feat. Anne Azéma

MEMORIA SEFARDI – ACD22274 02/2002Sefarad traditional music.

CONSTANTINOPLE –– ACD22269 07/2001Instrumental music from the Middle-Age and Renaissance.

DISCOGRAPHY

310

mediaeval manuscripts to contemporary aesthetics, from Mediterranean Europe to the East and New World Baroque.

In its research and creation, Constantinople joins forces with other leading !gures on the international scene, including singers Françoise Atlan, Savina Yannatou, Rosario La Tremendita, Ghada Shbeir and Irasema Terrazas, the Greek ensemble En Chordais, the polyphonic choir Barbara Furtuna, the Quebec group Vent du Nord, the Afghan rubab virtuoso Homayoun Sakhi, DJ Mercan Dede, and such prominent percussionists as the Istanbul-based Mısırli Ahmet or Israeli Zohar Fresco.

The common denominator that Constantinople brings into play is their modal expression, but also their decidedly contemporary—and thus unifying—language. “To avoid the traps of juxtaposition (…), to go elsewhere by listening to and understanding the Other (…), to create a fresco that can be viewed as a unique work of art” (Kiya Tabassian): such is the ambition of these artists who are shaping the music of tomorrow by writing the music of today, transmitting both a legacy from the past and intuitions of the future.

Constantinople is regularly invited to international festivals, where it is acclaimed by the public, music professionals and critics alike. It has performed on many of the world’s major stages, including the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence (France), the World Sacred Music Festival of Fez (Morocco), the Festival d’Île de France (Paris), the Onassis Centre (Athens), the Festival de México en el Centro Histórico (Mexico), the Festival de Lanaudière (Quebec), or the MusicFest Vancouver (Canada).Alongside these tours in France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Holland, Romania, Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, Iran, Cyprus, Morocco, Canada, United States and Mexico, Constantinople presents every year a season of creations and revivals in Montreal, the visibility of which continues to grow.

Most of its creations have been recorded and broadcast by Radio-Canada, and some have been relayed to European audiences via the European Broadcasting Union. Constantinople has eleven albums to its credit on the ATMA label, and has recently released Early Dreams with ANALEKTA. The ensemble is supported by the Conseil des Arts et des Lettres of Quebec, the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Conseil des Arts de Montréal.

Over the course of the decade, the ensemble has created over 30 works and travelled to nearly 100 cities in 20 countries.

CONCERT HIGHLIGHTS2012Salle Pleyel (PARIS, France) || DiMenna Center (NEW YORK, United States) || Festival les Heures d’été (NANTES, France) || Schwetzinger SWR Festspiele (SCHWETZINGEN, Germany) || Jerusalem Sacred Music Festival (JERUSALEM, Israel) || Prismatic Arts Festival (HALIFAX, Nova Scotia) || Festival de musique « Conques, La lumière du Roman » (AVEYRON, France) || Thessaloniki World Music Festival (THESSALONIQUE, Greece)

2011Palais Montcalm (QUÉBEC, Canada) || Poisson Rouge (NEW YORK, United States) || Les Flanneries de Reims (REIMS, France) || Tropentheater (AMSTERDAM, Holland) || Musée Guimet (PARIS, France) || KulturFabrik (ESCH, Luxembourg) || Carré d’argent (PONT-CHÂTEAU, France) || Onassis Cultural Centre (ATHENS, Greece) || Music Before 1800 Corpus Christi Church (NEW YORK, United States) || Festival de Stimmens (LÖRRACH, Germany) || Toronto Consort Series (TORONTO, Canada) ||

2010Banff Centre for the Arts (ALBERTA, Canada) || Oratoire du Louvre (PARIS, France) || Festival International d’Orford (ORFORD, Canada) || Festival International de Musique Sacrée de Sylvanès (SYLVANÈS, France) || Festival International du Domaine Forget (ST-IRÉNÉE, Québec) || Fez Sacred Music Festival (FEZ, Morocco) || Early Music Vancouver (VANCOUVER, Canada) || Early Music Society of the Islands (VICTORIA, BC) || Festival des musiques sacrées (QUÉBEC, Canada) || Minderbroeders Complex (MECHELEN, Belgium)

2009Festival Internacional de Puebla (PUEBLA, MEXICO) || Festival des Musiques Sacrées de Québec (QUEBEC, QC) || Metropolitain Musuem (NEW YORK, United States) || Festival Ile-de-France (PARIS, France) || Festival des Arts de St-Sauveur (ST-SAUVEUR, QC) || Festival d’Aix (AIX-EN-PROVENCE, France) || Rialto Theatre (LIMASSOL, Cyprus) || Festival Les Orientales (SAINT-FLORENT LE VIEIL, France) || FlamencoFestivalEsch (LUXEMBOURG) || Festival Instants du Monde (NANTES, France) || Festival de l’Imaginaire (PARIS, France) || Megaron Musiqi (THESSALONIKI, Greece)

2008Festival Ile-de-France (PARIS, France) || Festival international de musique ancienne d’Ambronay (AMBRONAY, France) || Vienna Konzerthaus (VIENNA, Austria) || Ottawa Chamber Music Festival (OTTAWA, Canada) || Festival International de Lanaudière (LANAUDIERE, QC) || Accademia Musicale Chigiana (SIENNA, Italy) || Farhang-sara honar Arasbaran (TEHRAN, Iran) || Virtuosi concert series (WINNIPEG, Canada) || International Zacatecas Festival (ZACATECAS, Mexico)

2007Mediterranean Festival (HONG KONG) || Festival Suds à Arles (ARLES, France) || Alix Goolden Hall (VICTORIA, Canada) || Margaret Greenham Theatre (BANFF CENTRE, Canada) || Harbourfront Centre Theatre (TORONTO, Canada)

2006Festival de Cuernavaca (CUERNAVACA, Mexico) || Augustinus Muziekcentrum (ANTWERPEN, Belgium) || Festival Voix et Route Romane (BAS-RHIN, France) || Festival Classica Evora (EVORA, Portugal) || Festival de San Luis Potosi (SAN LUIS POTOSI, Mexico) || Festival de Mexico en el Centro Historico (MEXICO, Mexico) || UNAM (MEXICO, Mexico) || Centre National des Arts (MEXICO, Mexico) || Fundación Tres Culturas del Mediterráneo (SEVILLE, Spain) || Scuola di Musica Antica di Venezia (VENISE, Italy) || Centro Studi Piemontese di Musica Antica (BIELLA, Italy) || Institut du Monde Arabe (PARIS, France) || Assembly Hall, American University of Beirut (BEIRUT, Lebanon) …2001Foundation

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CONSTANTINOPLE

Constantinople is the story of a musical ensemble that chose the journey as its cornerstone—geographical journeys, but also historical, cultural and inner—and to seek inspiration from all sources, to aim for distant horizons.

Drawing inspiration from ancient Istanbul, a trailblazing city illuminating East and West, the ensemble, founded in 2001 in Montreal, was conceived as a forum for encounters and cross-fertilization by Kiya and Ziya Tabassian, who grew up in effervescent Teheran.

Kiya plays setar, sings and composes, while Ziya explores the in!nite possibilities of the tombak and other percussive instruments. Steeped in the classical Persian traditions, both musical and poetic, each of them has a blend of self-taught, academic and traditional training. Knowing each other by heart and continuing to discover more, they have used their virtuosity and creativity to open up and reinvent the heritage of their native land. Their exile and discovery of Quebec in adolescence seems to have given them wings!

In 2008 the ensemble evolved, welcoming Pierre-Yves Martel to its ranks, a viola da gamba player of improvisational brilliance who was as insatiable and adventurous as the two brothers. An inspired musician with a multifaceted background and a balancing !gure in Constantinople, Pierre-Yves has always embraced new languages, always felt at home in the crossroads of early and contemporary music, in the traditions of Persian music.

Since then, as seasoned travellers, the trio has ceaselessly explored a wide range of musical avenues: from

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ECHOESUnprecedented subtlety“Musical arrangements that reveal unprecedented subtlety, making even the best European ensembles green with envy.” “They open up the doors of an extraordinary garden.” – Michel Ferland, Radio-Canada-CBC (Canada)

An exciting evening!“...The sacred is there, beneath our eyes on the stage, through the great communion of the musicians, by their complicity in the improvisations, by the invisible joining of their talents that they have all shown with brio. ““Without hesitation, artists that deserve !ve stars.” – Guy Marceau, La Presse (Quebec)

Quote: 9/10“I highly recommend Constantinople’s effort as one of the successful of ‘East-meets-West’ conceptualizations on disc.” – David Vernier, Classic Today.com

Virtuosity draws the listener into magic“The connection of these brothers to each other, to their diverse musical in"uences and interests, and the drawing out of inner resources and virtuosity draw the listener into the magic created.” – Diane Wells, Thewholenote.com

5 DIAPASONS ratingThe French magazine gave us a 5 DIAPASONS rating for TERRES TURQUOISES launched in 2005. “Their approach, seeking the instantaneous gestures of improvisation, has a novel sound, a certain innocence created from the meeting of rare tones, even if it means taking on the risky, yet so invigorating territory of re-creation.” – Roger Tellart, Diapason (France)

A musical level never reached before“On a musical level, never before has a work pushed the Quebecois folklore that far in space!” “Constant in the quality of the interpretation.” “What emerges is a free and subtle music that we never want to stop listening to.” – Yves Bernard, Le Devoir (Quebec)

One the !nest Early music ensembles “Constantinople is one of the world’s !ner Early music ensembles.” – Doug Spencer, The Weekend Planet (ABC, Australian Broadcasting Corp.)

Nothing super!cial“Constantinople manages to make us believe in the mythical Middle Ages clothed in mysticism.”“There is nothing super!cial about their music.” “They have brilliantly reached their goal, one that we were anxious to share in once again.” – François Tousignant, Le Devoir (Québec)

By heart“An hour and a half of intense and improvised exchanges between two musicians who know each other by heart... The buzz around these precious musicians will continue for a long time.” – Mondomix (France)

A dream“Their mission seems to be to make us dream. They take us on a voyage to another world.” – Véronique Robert, L’Actualité “These artists transported us a long way. Far into time, into space… and with such great ease. Bravo! » - L’Union (France)

Free and rigorous“An approach at once free and rigorous.” – La Scena Musicale (Canada)

A Bull’s eye score“Credible, erudite, sensitive, Constantinople’s approach scores a bull’s-eye.” – Christophe Huss, Le Devoir (Quebec)

Exquisite“Constantinople presented a convincing evening of exquisite music-making.” – Vancouver Sun (Canada)

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CONSTANTINOPLE428, rue Rachel Est • H2J 2G7 • MONTREAL (QC)

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ITINERANT MUSIC • ECLECTIC JOURNEYS • MYRIAD ENCOUNTERS

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Presentation of Constantinople

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