Singer

"For me as a child, Umm Kulthum was the voice of God," reveals Ghalia Benali. "Her voice touched the soul, not just the ears." Born in Brussels and raised in an artistic family in Tunisia, the singer was exposed to different musical styles at an early age – and continues to dance between cultures to this day. One of her greatest inspirations remains Umm Kulthum, arguably the most famous voice in the Middle East, who serves as Benali's "honorary grandmother." Together with the Iranian setar virtuoso Kiya Tabassian and his Ensemble Constantinople, she is dedicated to setting the poems of the "Rubaiyat" to music.

EPSG:4326

Ghalia Benali / Constantinople Ensemble

Elbphilharmonie Hamburg

Constantinople with Hana Blažíková, soprano

Emmanuel Church Boston

Inspired by the ancient city illuminating the East and West, Constantinople stands at the crossroads of artistic encounters; drawing from the heritage of the Middle-Ages and the Renaissance, from Europe to the Mediterranean and to the Middle-East. Founded in 2001 in Montreal by artistic director Kiya Tabassian, Constantinople honors and shares the rich musical traditions of the world by creating new music in the form of unique encounters, connections and bridges between cultures, periods, styles and people, and by disseminating it around the globe. Constantinople has 20 albums to its credit and traveled to more than 290 cities in 57 countries presenting over 60 works.

 Ensemble Constantinople

First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley

First Presbyterian Church of Palo Alto

St. Mark's Lutheran Church, San Francisco

The estuary represents this astonishing space of transition and transformation where fresh water meets salt water and unexpected potentials are revealed, like the encounters imagined by Constantinople. This third collaboration between kora master Ablaye Cissoko and Persian setar ambassador Kiya Tabassian is none other than the junction point where the rivers of their musical memories meet. Their dialogue, which is refined and enriched from year to year, gives rise to musical conversations that inspire a sense of wonder and awaken consciousness.

Constantinople - Estuary

The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

Music predating the Baroque period is rarely heard at the Rudolfinum, so a programme of works by Kryštof Harant is a special event, especially because he is seen as the most important Czech musician of the Renaissance. The acclaimed ensemble Cappella Mariana will present historically informed interpretations of his works, and actor Saša Rašilov will read excerpts from Harant’s famous travel diaries.

Czech Chamber Music Society • Cappella Mariana

Rudolfinum

Breathings is a celebration of our intimate relationship with nature. It is a concert that places the breath at the centre of the musical act, in which Constantinople’s musicians and their guests from indigenous communities are guided by the pulsing of a heartbeat and the human voice in all its forms. 

TSM presents Breathings

The Royal Conservatory of Music

Nordic Lights brings together Constantinople and renowned Hardanger fiddle virtuoso Benedicte Maurseth in a collaboration inspired by the landscapes and traditions of Norway. Blending Nordic folk heritage with a cross-cultural “North–South” dialogue, the program explores the deep connection between music, nature, and human experience, creating immersive soundscapes that evoke fjords, glaciers, and centuries-old traditions. Featuring Maurseth alongside Kiya Tabassian (setar, voice) and Patrick Graham (percussion), the performance weaves together voices and instruments into a richly textured, transportive musical journey.

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Kiya Tabassian

Events

Upcoming events

Apr 2, 2027

"Northern Lights in a Persian Sky" featuring Benedicte Maurseth, Hardanger fiddle with Constantinople · Washington University in St. Louis Department of Music

Past events

Dec 13, 2025

Ghalia Benali / Constantinople Ensemble · Elbphilharmonie

Jun 13, 2025

Constantinople with Hana Blažíková, soprano · Boston Early Music Festival

About

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