Constantinople is a musical ensemble that chose the journey—geographical certainly, but also historical, cultural and inner—as its cornerstone. It draws inspiration from all sources and aims for distant horizons. Inspired by the ancient city illuminating the East and West, Constantinople was founded in 2001 in Montreal by its artistic director, Kiya Tabassian.

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. Underpinned by a spirit of research and creation, Constantinople has joined forces with leading international artists such as the Mandingo griot Ablaye Cissoko, Syrian clarinetist and composer Kinan Azmeh, and Iranian kamancheh master Kayhan Kalhor.

The ensemble has 21 albums to its credit, including “Il ponte di Leonardo” which was awarded Best Classical Album 2024 (small ensembles) at the Junos. Over the past fifteen years, Constantinople has created over 60 works and travelled to more than 290 cities in 57 countries.