Ensemble Constantinople performs the music of Dimitrie Cantemir (1673-1723), a Moldavian prince, scholar, composer, and diplomat. A fascinating historical figure, Cantemir’s compositions are considered part of the Ottoman music repertoire. More influential, though, are the over 350 instrumental works that he preserved in his book Edvar-i Musiki using his own innovative notation system. This book remains one of the most important collections of 16th and 17th century Ottoman and Middle Eastern music.

In this stimulating program, music from East and the West are engaged in an inspiring dialogue in which Ottoman music and works by Palestrina, Castello, and Marais coexist, inviting us to listen attentively and creatively to the new shapes these works take in the expert hands of the performers.

Constantinople aims to anchor music’s place in the heart of our community and encourage cross-cultural musical making and exchanges among artists from around the world. Since its founding, the ensemble promotes the creation of new works incorporating musical elements of diverse musical traditions around the world, drawing from medieval manuscripts to a contemporary aesthetic, passing by Mediterranean Europe to Eastern traditions and New World Baroque.

The ensemble has 20 albums to its credit on labels Analekta, Atma, World Village, Buda Musique, Ma Case, Dreyer Gaido and Glossa. Over the course of the decade, Constantinople has created nearly 50 works and travelled to more than 270 cities in 55 countries.