This Friday Spain Meets Persia In Concert With CONSTANTINOPLE & ACCADEMIA DEL PIACERE

In a new concert entitled From Castille to Samarkand, Montreal's Constantinople Ensemble meets early music masters from Spain Accademia del Piacere on April 8 at the Aga Khan Museum.

At this time, when we smell the pungent stench of conflict and war advancing upon humanity, it is more vital than ever to build and rebuild bridges between civilizations, cultures, and peoples. For 20 years, Constantinople has been passionately invested in building bridges between various musical forms and traditions, those of yesterday and today as well as those from here and from abroad. The upcoming concerts in our 20th season will follow this direction, encouraging our audiences to reflect on the importance of these kinds of dialogue through the various musical bridges that we erect. » - Kiya Tabassian, Artistic Director, Constantinople.

Alongside ancient Spanish music pillar Accademia del Piacere, starring viola da gamba virtuoso Fahmi Alqhai, Constantinople unites - within a concert's timespan - Iberian cultures and those of Persia and Central Asia, thanks to a one-of-a-kind and deeply impactful musical journey.

From Castille to Samarkand

Constantinople (Canada) & Accademia Del Piacere (Spain)

• Friday, April 8, 2022 - Aga Khan Museum

The great masters of the Spanish Renaissance created a golden age of polyphony. Into what was essentially Franco-Flemish music of the time, they wove influences left by the Moors and by the Muslim cultures so present in medieval Spain.

In collaboration with Fahmi Alqhai, one of the great virtuosos of the viola da gamba, and his Accademia del Piacere, the leading ensemble of early Spanish music, Constantinople embarks on a musical journey through Iberia, Persia, and Central Asia, revisiting music notable for its sumptuous colour and exceptionally rich beauty.

Following its premiere in Seville (Spain) on March 26, this work is presented in Vancouver on April 1, in Victoria on April 3, in Toronto on April 8, in Montreal on April 9 and in Quebec City on April 10.

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About Fahmi Alqhai

Fahmi Alqhai is considered one of the most brilliant and outstanding gambists of our time and is recognized as one of the greatest performers of early music. In 2002, along with soprano Mariví Blasco, he founded the Accademia del Piacere. He is also cofounder, along with his brother Rami Alqhai, of the ALQHAI & ALQHAI record label. In addition to the many projects he has initiated, he has been invited, beginning at an early age, to collaborate with some of the most renowned international early music ensembles, such as Hesperion XXI (Jordi Daval) and Il Suonar Parlante (Vittorio Ghielmi). As a soloist, he has performed with the Spanish National Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of Galicia, and the Baroque Orchestra of Seville, among others. He has also performed contemporary music as well as jazz, with artists such as Uri Caine. Since 2009, Fahmi Ahqai has been artistic director of the Early Music Festival of Seville (FeMAS), Spain's oldest and most prestigious early music festival.

About Constantinople

Borrowing its name from the ancient city that once was a beacon of light between East and West, Constantinople was conceived as a space for musical fusions and exchanges by its artistic director Kiya Tabassian from the moment it was founded in Montreal in 2001. Since its inception, the ensemble has released 19 albums on labels such as Analekta, Atma, World Village, Buda Musique, Ma Case, Dreyer Gaido and Glossa. Over the past 10 years, the ensemble has developed nearly 50 creations that have been presented in more than 240 cities across 54 countries.

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More Information

• From Castille to Samarkand, April 8th - 8:30 P.M.
• Aga Khan Museum
• Prices: $40 regular, $36 friends, $30 seniors & students
• Tickets

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